ICC Men's Player of Month October 2026: Jansen, Minhas, Hope nominated
Synopsis
Three cricketers who shaped October 2026 on their own — Jansen single-handedly flipped a Test series against Australia, 21-year-old Minhas posted match-winning batting and bowling figures against England and Sri Lanka, and Hope hit three unbeaten centuries against India across formats, including a world-record chase. The ICC's October shortlist may be its strongest of the year.
Key Takeaways
Marco Jansen , Arafat Minhas , and Shai Hope are shortlisted for the ICC Men's Player of the Month — October 2026 .
Jansen scored 198 runs and took 13 wickets in South Africa's 2-1 comeback Test series win over Australia, reaching No.
1 in both ICC Test bowling and all-rounders rankings.
Arafat Minhas , 21, was named Player of the Series in Pakistan's home ODI tri-series, taking 9 wickets and scoring 149 runs , including 6-40 against England.
Shai Hope hit three unbeaten centuries against India, including an unbeaten 162 in a record 352-run ODI chase for West Indies.
Hope also scored 261 runs in the T20I series at a strike rate of 190.51 , with the series ending 2-2 .
Marco Jansen of South Africa, Pakistan's young all-rounder Arafat Minhas, and West Indies captain Shai Hope have been shortlisted for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for October 2026. The International Cricket Council announced the nominations on 5 November 2026, recognising standout performances across Test, ODI, and T20I cricket during the month.
Marco Jansen's Historic Test Series
Marco Jansen was the cornerstone of South Africa's 2-1 comeback Test series win over Australia, finishing the series with 198 runs and 13 wickets. His most decisive contribution came in the second Test at Gqeberha, where he scored 85 runs and returned figures of 5-33 and 1-34 as South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs to level the series.
Jansen followed that with another fifty and three wickets in the series decider at Cape Town. His performances propelled him to the top of both the ICC Test bowling and all-rounders rankings — making him the first South African to lead the Test bowling charts since Kagiso Rabada in 2024, and the first to top the all-rounders table since Vernon Philander achieved the feat in August 2014.
Arafat Minhas Lights Up Pakistan's ODI Tri-Series
At just 21 years old, left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas was named Player of the Series as Pakistan clinched the home ODI tri-series, which also featured Sri Lanka and England. Across five matches, Minhas scored 149 runs at an average of 29.80 and a strike rate of 119.20, while claiming nine wickets at an average of 23.22 and an economy of 5.13 runs per over.
His standout match came against England, where he struck 59 before taking 6-40 — the second-best ODI bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler on home soil. In the final against Sri Lanka in Lahore, his blazing 61 off 31 balls steered Pakistan to successfully chase down 326, sealing the tri-series title.
Shai Hope's Unbeaten Century Spree Against India
West Indies captain Shai Hope delivered one of the most remarkable white-ball sequences of the month, striking three unbeaten centuries against India across both formats. The wicketkeeper-batter's most dramatic knock was an unbeaten 162 in the third ODI at New Chandigarh, guiding West Indies to hunt down 352 — the highest successful run chase in their 50-over cricket history.
Hope sustained that extraordinary form into the five-match T20I series, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He smashed 102 not out in both the second T20I in Ranchi and the fourth game in Hyderabad, the latter arriving off just 50 balls. He finished the T20I series with 261 runs at a strike rate of 190.51.
What's Next
The ICC will announce the winner following a public vote and input from a selection panel. All three nominees had defining individual months that shaped bilateral and multi-team series outcomes in October 2026, making this among the more competitive shortlists of the year.
Point of View
Not a footnote. Minhas at 21 is the kind of match-winner Pakistan's white-ball pipeline has been hunting for years; a Player of the Month win here would amplify expectations that could cut both ways. Hope's triple-century run against India may be the month's single most compelling statistical sequence, yet West Indies still couldn't win the T20I series — a reminder that individual brilliance and collective results don't always align.
NationPress
5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the ICC Men's Player of the Month nominees for October 2026?
The three nominees are South Africa's Marco Jansen , Pakistan's Arafat Minhas , and West Indies captain Shai Hope . The ICC announced the shortlist on 5 November 2026, recognising performances across Test and white-ball cricket in October.
Why is Marco Jansen nominated for the ICC award?
Jansen scored 198 runs and took 13 wickets in South Africa's 2-1 comeback Test series win over Australia in October 2026. His efforts, including a match-winning 85 and figures of 5-33 in Gqeberha, took him to No. 1 in the ICC Test bowling and all-rounders rankings.
What did Arafat Minhas achieve in October 2026?
The 21-year-old left-arm spin bowling all-rounder was named Player of the Series in Pakistan's home ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England. He scored 149 runs and took nine wickets across five matches, including a match-defining 59 and 6-40 against England.
How did Shai Hope perform against India in October 2026?
West Indies captain Shai Hope struck three unbeaten centuries against India across ODIs and T20Is in October 2026. His 162 not out in the third ODI at New Chandigarh powered a record 352-run chase for West Indies, the highest successful ODI run chase in their history.
When will the ICC Men's Player of the Month winner be announced?
The ICC has not specified an exact date, but winners are typically announced within days of the nomination period closing, following a public vote combined with a selection panel decision. Fans can vote through official ICC platforms.
