The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Shubman Gill as the ICC Men's Player of the Month for January 2023, recognizing his exceptional performance in the international cricket arena. Gill, a top-order batsman from India, has been making waves in the cricketing world with his impressive performances in recent matches.

Also Read: Shubman Gill in last 18 ODIs: 86.07 avg, four centuries | India's next biggest star

Gill made his international debut for India in 2018. And since then, he has been one of the most consistent performers for the team. In January 2023, the 23-year-old played three matches and was instrumental in leading India to victories in all three fixtures. In addition, Gill's performances in the month of January 2023 were nothing short of remarkable, with him scoring two centuries and a half-century. With these, he helped India secure victories against England, Australia, and New Zealand.

Gill's exceptional form with the bat has earned him a reputation as one of the best batsmen in the world. After being nominated alongside Devon Conway and Mohammed Siraj, Gill bagged the ICC Men's Player of the month. He achieved this with a brilliant run in white-ball cricket in January. He has also a calm and composed approach at the crease. This is coupled with exceptional technique and a wide range of shots. Gill's skills, combined with his unwavering dedication to the sport, have earned him the respect of cricket fans and players alike.

After underwhelming returns in the first two T20Is against New Zealand, Gill smashed a 126* off just 63 deliveries in the third match in Ahmedabad to extend an enviable run. With it, he became the fifth India batter to score a hundred in each of the three international formats, alongside Tendulkar, Rohit, Suresh Raina, and Virat Kohli. Moreover, Gill's aggregate of 360 is the joint-highest ever for anyone in a three-match bilateral ODI series. He equaled Babar Azam's record against the West Indies in 2016-17.

Also Read: T20 International Biggest Victories

His standout knock though came in the first of three ODIs against New Zealand in Hyderabad. He smashed 208 off 149 on a day when none of his teammates crossed 28. This powered India to a match-winning score of 349/8 in what turned out to be a nail-biting thriller. After that, he became the fifth Indian to register an ODI double-hundred, after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma (thrice), and Ishan Kishan.

In recognition of his outstanding performances, Shubman Gill has achieved the ICC Men's Player of the Month for January 2023. His recent achievements are a result of his hard work and commitment to the sport. Gill is currently a part of the India Test squad for the ongoing four-match home series against Australia. India is currently leading 1-0 following their innings and 132-run win in the first Test in Nagpur.

The intensity of IPL playoffs brings out extraordinary performances. Several players have set the bar high with their fearless batting skills and bagging those victories for the teams.

With the IPL 2025 playoffs approaching, it is the best time to examine the highest individual scores by players in the IPL playoffs.

Check out the full list of the highest individual scores by players in the IPL playoffs.

1. Shubham Gill (129 runs) | GT

Shubham Gill shattered all the big batting records of IPL playoffs with his unbelievable knock of 129 runs off 60 balls against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 Qualifier 2.

His performance as an opening batsman took Gujarat Titans to a huge total of 233 runs, which they defended comfortably and booked their final berth.

This groundbreaking knock tops the chart for the highest individual scores by players in IPL playoffs.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

2. Virender Sehwag (122 runs) | PBKS

Virender Sehwag's 122 runs off 58 balls against CSK was the long-standing record of the highest individual score in playoffs for 9 years.

This sensational knock in Qualifier 2 helped Punjab Kings reach the IPL final for the first time.

3. Shane Watson (117* runs) | CSK

The Australian legend, Shane Watson, holds the third position with his 117* runs from 57 balls against SRH in the IPL 2018 Final.

His phenomenal performance led the Chennai Super Kings to their third IPL victory.

Watson smashed 11 fours and 8 sixes, with a strike rate above 200.

Read Also: Safest hands: Most catches in IPL history

4. Wriddhiman Saha (115* runs) | PBKS

An incredible season for the boy of Bengal, Wriddhiman Saha, who dominated till the very end against KKR in the IPL 2014 Final. He scored an unbeaten 115 runs from just 55 balls and helped PBKS reach a defendable total. Saha's ton was the first ton ever scored in an IPL final.

Even though Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a brilliant victory in that match, Saha's performance won the hearts of the fans!

5. Murali Vijay (113 runs) | CSK

Murali Vijay single-handedly took CSK to a humongous total in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2012. His remarkable contribution of 113 runs from 58 balls made things easier for their team.

With this victory against Delhi Capitals, CSK headed towards the Final and Murali Vijay was rewarded player of the match.

Read Also: Most Sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL

6. Rajat Patidar (112*) | RCB

Rajat Patidar has proven to be one of the impactful figures for Royal Challengers Bengaluru ever since his debut in 2021. He left a stellar lasting impression with his knock of 112* runs from 54 balls against LSG in IPL 2022 Eliminator.

His contribution was extremely crucial for the team as their batting line-up collapsed early in the first innings. However, RCB successfully defeated LSG to move ahead in the tournament, with credit to Patidar.

After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.

Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.

Also Read: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.

India will play New Zealand twice

India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.

It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.

India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026

In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.

The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

India's ODI schedule till World Cup 2027

The ICC has officially announced that the Final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5th July. The news was shared during a special launch event at Lord’s on 1st May.

Alongside this major reveal, it was confirmed that the matches will also be played at other popular venues across England, including Edgbaston, the Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, and the Bristol County Ground.

The tournament is set to kick off on 12th June and will run for 24 days, featuring a total of 33 matches leading up to the highly anticipated final at Lord’s. The complete match schedule is expected to be released soon.

Featuring a record 12 teams, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. With two more teams than the previous edition, fans can expect fierce competition as the world’s top sides battle it out for the title.

Read Also | Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more

Qualified Teams for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Four additional teams will join them through the Qualifier scheduled next year.

The 12 teams will be split into two groups of six for the group stage, followed by the knockout rounds and finals.

Official Statement

ICC Chairman Jay Shah opened up about the tournament, saying, "The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026"

"The sell-out Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women’s game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final."

"As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket’s return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028."

Legacy

Moving on from the most recent edition, hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE in 2024, saw New Zealand claim their first-ever title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final.

The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will mark the milestone 10th edition of the tournament, which began in 2009.

The IPL has transformed the landscape of T20 format, providing a grand stage for Indian batters to show their power-hitting skills. Players have taken this platform to another level by showcasing their extraordinarily six-hitting capabilities.

We have seen a great display of fearless batting over the years from both youngsters and experienced players.

Let's dive into the amazing list of most sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL and recall those golden moments.

Murali Vijay (11 sixes) vs RR | 2010

IPL has changed quite a few things over the years, but what remains constant is the six-hitting show in every season. Murali Vijay is still holding his name for the highest record by smashing 11 sixes against the Rajasthan Royals while playing for CSK in IPL 2010.

His explosive innings of 127 runs off just 56 balls not only led CSK to a huge total of 246 but also set the record for the most sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL.

Read Also: IPL records: Most consecutive away wins in IPL history

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (11 sixes) vs GT | 2025

The record breaking season of IPL 2025 has witnessed some stunning ones this year. The 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who made headlines by scoring an astonishing century against Gujarat Titans, has also marked his name in the record for most sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL. 

Vaibhav is the youngest debutant in the history of IPL, who smashed 101 in 35 balls in his third match for RR. He hit 11 sixes and 7 fours in his record-breaking knock, and is also the fastest and youngest Indian batter to score the fastest century in IPL history. 

Read Also: Exclusive: "Do not call him a 'baccha', he will play T20s for India in two years," says Bihar head coach after Vaibhav Suryavanshi's historical IPL ton

Sanju Samson (10 sixes) vs RCB | 2018

Sanju Samson lit up the Chinnaswamy stadium with his magnificent knock of 92 runs off 45 balls, against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2018. He hit a total of 10 sixes in his inning and earned his spot in the list of most sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL.

Though he fell short of a century, this knock clearly revealed how destructive he can be with his six-hitting abilities.

Shreyas Iyer (10 sixes) vs KKR | 2018

Shreyas Iyer delivered 10 super sixes in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders and helped DC to reach a total of 219 runs in IPL 2017. He showcased a rare side of him with the bat and scored 93 runs from 40 balls, also grabbing the player of the match title.

Iyer is known for his calm nature on-field, which left the fans wanting for more with this surprising aggressive knock and rain of sixes.

Shubman Gill (10 sixes) vs MI | 2023

The prince of Indian cricket, Shubman Gill, scored a jaw-dropping 129 runs off 60 balls in the IPL 2023 Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians. With 10 monstrous sixes to his name, Gill contributed to the 233 total and sealed the victory that helped reach GT the finals.

Read Also: Weird Styles: Indian players with unusual bowling actions

Abhishek Sharma (10 sixes) vs PBKS | 2025

Another record-breaking ton of the IPL 2025 that came off Abhishek Sharma’s bat against the Punjab Kings. He scored 141 runs off 55 balls and became the highest-scoring Indian batsman for the record of highest individual scores in IPL history. 

Abhishek hit 10 sixes in his knock and helped Sunrisers Hyderabad to break their losing streak and keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Central Contract for the 2025-26 season on Monday, 21st April 2025. 7 new players were added to the contract, while players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to the list after missing out last time.

Last year, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were left out of the BCCI central contract after opting out of the domestic games for their respective state teams. BCCI's focus on domestic cricket left them out of the central contract despite being part of the Indian team set up a few months ago.

But, this time, both the Indian batters were added to the contract after Iyer won everything in the domestic cricket last season, along with lifting the IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders. Ishan Kishan also played through the entire domestic season and has been rewarded with the contract too. 

Read Also | "Mere Sath Kyun?.:" Ishan Kishan breaks silence on Team India exit and Central Contract termination

Talking points from the BCCI Central Contract 2025

Rohit and Kohli stay in Grade A+ 

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remained in the Grade A+ category despite retiring from the T20I format. Rohit and Virat had announced their retirement from the shortest format of the game after lifting the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. 

Ravindra Jadeja is another name who has been listed in the A+ category despite retiring from the T20Is after the World Cup victory.

Bumrah is the only all-format player in A+

With Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja retiring from the shortest format of the game, Jasprit Bumrah remains the only all-format player to be in the A+ category of the BCC Central Contract 2025.

Pant is promoted to the Grade A category

Rishabh Pant received a promotion to the A category after being in the B category last year. Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami are the other names in the A category, who were already there in last year's contract. 

Ravi Ashwin has been left out of the contract since he retired from international cricket.

Iyer listed in grade B; Kishan in grade C

Shreyas Iyer, who was left out of the contract last year, has been included in the Grade B, while Ishan Kishan has been listed in the Grade C. 

Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the other names in Grade B, who were there last time as well. 

New 7 names in Grade C

7 new players have been added to the BCCI Central Contract 2025. All of these players found themselves in Grade C. 

Dhruv Jurel, Sarafraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep are the players who received the contract for their performances in the last season. 

Not to be confused, Akash Deep earlier had a fast bowling contract and this year received the central contract after doing well in the Test format. 

Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharath, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have been left out of the contract this year.

Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa were all part of the fast bowling contract last season. 

BCCI Central Contract 2025

BCCI announces annual player retainership 2024-25 - Team India (Senior Men) 💙🤝#Bcci #IndianCricket #Viratkohli #RohitSharma #jaspritbumrah #Shreyasiyer #KlRahul #HardikPandya #Ipl2025 pic.twitter.com/LSmlg06QOS

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 21, 2025