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Shafali, Charani, Athapaththu nominated for ICC Womens Player of the Month for September

Digital Desk | Dubai, Oct 6 (IANS) Indias Shafali Verma and Sree Charani, along with Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, have been nominated for the ICC Womens Player of the Month award for September 2026 following a month of standout performances across the Womens Asia Cup and Asian Games. The three players played key roles for their respective teams during a packed month of T20I cricket, with India winning both the Asia Cup and the Asian Games gold medal, while Sri Lanka reached the finals of both competitions. Shafali enjoyed a prolific month at the top of Indias order, scoring 360 runs in seven T20Is at an average of 72.00 and a strike rate of 184.61. The 22-year-old also contributed with the ball, claiming six wickets at an average of 13.00 and an economy rate of 4.33. She was the leading run-scorer at the Womens Asia Cup, accumulating 236 runs in five innings. She scored 64 in the semifinal against Bangladesh before making 68 in the final against Sri Lanka as India secured a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title. Her form continued at the Asian Games in Japan, where she amassed 188 runs in three innings. After an unbeaten 40 against Japan, she produced her maiden T20I century in the semifinal against Bangladesh, smashing 100 from just 49 balls. She followed it with 48 in the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka as India completed a 147-run victory. Verma also contributed with the ball, taking two wickets during the Asia Cup and four more at the Asian Games, including two in the gold-medal clash against Sri Lanka. While Verma provided the fireworks with the bat, Charani emerged as one of Indias most consistent performers with the ball. The left-arm spinner claimed 18 wickets in seven T20Is during September, averaging just 4.83 while maintaining an economy rate of 3.30. Charani took 12 wickets during Indias successful Asia Cup campaign, including outstanding figures of 4/20 in the final against Sri Lanka. She continued her run at the Asian Games, taking 4/10 against Japan before returning figures of 2-/7 against Bangladesh and 2/13 against Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match. Her eight wickets at the Asian Games took her monthly tally to 18. Charanis month was capped by a landmark achievement in the ICC Womens T20I Player Rankings. She finished September with 817 rating points, becoming the highest-rated womens T20I bowler in history and surpassing Australias Megan Schutt, whose previous record stood at 806 points. With 18 wickets across the two competitions, Charani was Indias leading wicket-taker during a month in which the team secured both the Asia Cup and Asian Games titles. Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu provided a major all-round contribution as her side reached the Womens Asia Cup semifinals and then advanced to the Asian Games final. Across seven T20Is, the left-hander scored 226 runs at an average of 37.66 and a strike rate of 140.37. She also claimed 14 wickets at an average of 10.21 and an economy rate of 6.08. Her most remarkable bowling performance came early in the Womens Asia Cup, when she returned extraordinary figures of 7/5 against Indonesia, including a hat-trick. At the time, the spell was the fifth-best bowling performance in womens T20I cricket and only the sixth occasion on which a bowler had taken seven or more wickets in a Womens T20I. Athapaththu was equally influential with the bat at the Asian Games. She scored 175 runs in three innings, beginning with 63 against Malaysia before producing an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls against Pakistan in the semifinal to take Sri Lanka into the gold-medal match. She finished the Asian Games as Sri Lankas leading run-scorer and also contributed three wickets as the island nation claimed the silver medal. The September shortlist therefore features three players who combined individual brilliance with significant team success, with Verma and Charani helping India complete a memorable double and Athapaththu leading Sri Lanka to medals on both fronts.