South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen and India's Deepti Sharma have been named the ICC Men's and Women's Players of the Month for October 2026. Both delivered match-shaping contributions with bat and ball, and the numbers behind each award show why the voting panel rewarded their all-round impact.
Marco Jansen's October: The Numbers
Jansen, 26, accumulated 198 runs and claimed 13 wickets across the series against Australia. Australia ultimately won the Test series 2-1, but Jansen's output kept South Africa competitive in the ICC World Test Championship context.
| Metric | Marco Jansen (October 2026) |
|---|
| Total runs | 198 |
| Total wickets | 13 |
| Series result | Australia won 2-1 |
| Test bowling ranking | No. 1 |
| All-rounder ranking | No. 1 |
Second Test at Gqeberha
In the second Test, Jansen returned match figures of 5/33 and 1/34. That is six wickets for 67 runs, an average of roughly 11.17 per wicket.
He also contributed 85 with the bat in the same match, combining a decisive bowling return with a substantial batting score.
Ranking Impact and Historical Context
October's form lifted Jansen to number one in both the ICC Test Bowling Rankings and the ICC All-rounder Rankings. He is the first South African to top the bowling list since Kagiso Rabada in 2024.
He is also the first South African to lead the all-rounders' list since Vernon Philander in August 2014, a gap of more than a decade.
| Ranking Milestone | Previous South African to Achieve It |
|---|
| No. 1 in Test bowling | Kagiso Rabada (2024) |
| No. 1 among Test all-rounders | Vernon Philander (August 2014) |
Deepti Sharma's October: Bat and Ball Output
Sharma's month came during India's home assignments against Zimbabwe. She contributed in both the ICC Women's Championship ODI series and the T20I series that followed, and India swept both 3-0.
ICC Women's Championship ODI Series
Sharma scored 106 in the ODI series and took five wickets at an economy rate of 3.42. Conceding under 3.5 runs per over while taking wickets reflects strong control in the middle overs.
Her century was described as a highlight of the month for the Indian women's side, and it came in a winning cause.
T20I Series
In the T20Is, Sharma struck 49 off 37 balls, a strike rate of about 132.4. She added two wickets with her off-spin as India completed a second 3-0 sweep.
| Format | Batting | Bowling | Team Result |
|---|
| ODI (ICC Women's Championship) | 106 runs | 5 wickets, economy 3.42 | India won 3-0 |
| T20I | 49 off 37 balls (SR 132.4) | 2 wickets | India won 3-0 |
Nominees and Award History
Jansen was shortlisted alongside West Indies captain Shai Hope and Pakistan's Arafat Minhas. Sharma was nominated with Australia's Annabel Sutherland and Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary.
This is Sharma's second ICC Women's Player of the Month award, after her previous win in December 2023. It underlines her sustained importance to India's setup.
| Category | Winner | Other Nominees |
|---|
| Men's | Marco Jansen (South Africa) | Shai Hope, Arafat Minhas |
| Women's | Deepti Sharma (India) | Annabel Sutherland, Sobhana Mostary |
What the Data Suggests
Both winners combined volume with efficiency across formats. Jansen produced 198 runs and 13 wickets in a series his side lost, while Sharma's output came in two clean sweeps.
Jansen said the focus now is on building momentum in South Africa's push to reach the ICC World Test Championship Final next year. Sharma said the century was a special moment, made more meaningful because it contributed to a win, and she credited the youngsters in the squad.