New Delhi — March 14, 2026
Shubman Gill to Be Honored as BCCI Cricketer of the Year
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the winners for the Naman Awards 2026, with India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill set to receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Cricketer of the Year Award.
The ceremony will take place on March 15 in New Delhi, where several prominent cricketers and teams will be honored for their achievements over the past year.
Smriti Mandhana to Win Women’s Cricketer of the Year
In the women’s category, Smriti Mandhana will be honored as Women’s Cricketer of the Year for the fifth time in her career, highlighting her consistent performances in international cricket.
The recognition places Mandhana among the most decorated players in the history of Indian women’s cricket.
Gill Equals Sachin Tendulkar and Ravichandran Ashwin
This will be Shubman Gill’s second Polly Umrigar Award, having previously won the honor in 2023.
With this achievement, Gill will equal the record held by Sachin Tendulkar and Ravichandran Ashwin, both of whom have won the award twice.
The record for the most wins is held by Virat Kohli, who has received the honor five times, while Jasprit Bumrah has won it three times.
Strong Performances in Test and ODI Cricket
The 26-year-old Gill delivered outstanding performances in Test and One-Day International cricket during 2025.
In Test cricket, Gill scored 983 runs, including 754 runs during India’s series in England, where he averaged over 70 and played several match-defining innings.
Although he was not part of the Indian squad that recently won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Gill maintained strong form in the longer formats.
Consistent Form Across Formats
Gill also impressed in ODI cricket, scoring 490 runs, including 188 runs during India’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign.
Across all formats in 2025, he accumulated 1,764 runs, including seven centuries and three half-centuries, maintaining an average close to 49.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gill continued his strong run while captaining Gujarat Titans, scoring 650 runs at an average close to 50.
Lifetime Achievement Awards for Binny, Dravid, and Mithali Raj
The BCCI will also present the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award to former India players Roger Binny and Rahul Dravid.
In the women’s category, the same honor will be awarded to Mithali Raj for her outstanding contribution to Indian women’s cricket.
Dravid recently served as India’s head coach during the team’s successful 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Recognition for Domestic Cricket Performers
Young Mumbai cricketer Ayush Mhatre, who captained India’s Under-19 team to a World Cup title, will receive the Lala Amarnath Award for best all-round performance in domestic limited-overs tournaments.
Meanwhile, Vidarbha all-rounder Harsh Dubey will be honored as the best all-rounder of the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season.
BCCI to Honor World Cup–Winning Teams
During the Naman Awards ceremony, the BCCI will also recognize several Indian teams that recently won major ICC tournaments.
These include:
India’s Men’s T20 World Cup-winning team led by Suryakumar Yadav
Women’s World Cup 2025 champions
Champions Trophy 2025-winning team
Under-19 World Cup 2026 winners
Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025 champions
The ceremony is expected to celebrate achievements across Indian cricket while recognizing both international stars and emerging domestic talent.
