India announced two new cricket recipients for the Padma Shri in 2026.
Former captain Rohit Sharma and current women’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur join the distinguished list of honored cricketers.
Rohit led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, ending an 11-year drought in ICC tournaments.
Harmanpreet captained India to their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup crown in 2025, defeating Pakistan in the final.
The 2026 additions bring the total List of Cricketers Awarded Padma Shri to 42 since the award’s inception in 1954.
This marks a significant moment for women’s cricket recognition.
List Of Cricketers Awarded Padma Shri
Full List of Indian Cricketers to Win Padma Shri Award 2026
| S.No | Cricketer Name | Year Awarded | Role / Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vijay Hazare | 1960 | Former India Captain |
| 2 | Jasu Patel | 1960 | Test Bowler |
| 3 | Nari Contractor | 1962 | Former India Captain |
| 4 | Polly Umrigar | 1962 | Batsman |
| 5 | Syed Mushtaq Ali | 1963 | Opening Batsman |
| 6 | M.J. Gopalan | 1964 | Test Cricketer |
| 7 | D.B. Deodhar | 1965 | Pioneer Cricketer |
| 8 | Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi | 1967 | Former India Captain |
| 9 | Chandu Borde | 1969 | All-rounder |
| 10 | Bishan Singh Bedi | 1970 | Legendary Spinner |
| 11 | E.A.S Prasanna | 1970 | Spin Bowler |
| 12 | Gundappa Vishwanath | 1971 | Batsman |
| 13 | B.S Chandrasekhar | 1972 | Leg-spinner |
| 14 | Ajit Wadekar | 1972 | Former India Captain |
| 15 | Farokh Engineer | 1973 | Wicketkeeper-batsman |
| 16 | Pankaj Roy | 1975 | Opening Batsman |
| 17 | Syed Kirmani | 1982 | Wicketkeeper |
| 18 | Kapil Dev | 1982 | 1983 World Cup Captain |
| 19 | Chuni Goswami | 1984 | Cricketer & Footballer |
| 20 | Mohammad Shahid | 1986 | Fast Bowler |
| 21 | Dilip Vengsarkar | 1987 | Batsman |
| 22 | Mohammad Azharuddin | 1988 | Former India Captain |
| 23 | Sachin Tendulkar | 1999 | Master Blaster |
| 24 | Diana Edulji | 2002 | Women’s Cricket Pioneer |
| 25 | S. Venkataraghavan | 2003 | Off-spinner |
| 26 | Rahul Dravid | 2004 | Former India Captain |
| 27 | Sourav Ganguly | 2004 | Former India Captain |
| 28 | Anil Kumble | 2005 | Legendary Leg-spinner |
| 29 | MS Dhoni | 2009 | 2011 World Cup Captain |
| 30 | Harbhajan Singh | 2009 | Off-spinner |
| 31 | Virender Sehwag | 2010 | Opening Batsman |
| 32 | VVS Laxman | 2011 | Test Batsman |
| 33 | Jhulan Goswami | 2012 | Fast Bowler (Women) |
| 34 | Yuvraj Singh | 2014 | All-rounder |
| 35 | Mithali Raj | 2015 | Women’s Cricket Legend |
| 36 | Virat Kohli | 2017 | Former India Captain |
| 37 | Gautam Gambhir | 2019 | Opening Batsman |
| 38 | Zaheer Khan | 2020 | Fast Bowler |
| 39 | Gurcharan Singh | 2023 | Cricket Administrator |
| 40 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 2025 | Off-spinner |
| 41 | Rohit Sharma | 2026 | T20 World Cup Captain |
| 42 | Harmanpreet Kaur | 2026 | Women’s ODI WC Captain |
This list of Padma Shri Award recipients in cricket 2026 spans over six decades of Indian cricket history. Women cricketers remain underrepresented, with only four recipients.
What is the Padma Shri Award?
The Padma Shri ranks as India’s fourth-highest civilian honor. It follows the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan award list holders, and Padma Bhushan recipients in order of precedence.
Established on January 2, 1954, the award recognizes distinguished service across multiple fields. These include arts, sports, literature, science, public affairs, and social service.
The Government of India confers the award annually on Republic Day, January 26. The President of India presents the medals at a formal ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
For cricket, the Padma Shri validates sustained excellence and national impact. It places recipients among India’s most celebrated citizens across all professions.
Criteria to Win Padma Shri Award in India
- Outstanding contribution to Indian cricket: Recipients must demonstrate long-term performance and impact on the sport. Consistency over multiple seasons and formats carries significant weight in selection decisions.
- National and international achievements: Major tournament victories, captaincy success, and milestone performances matter. ICC trophy wins, Test series victories abroad, and record-breaking feats strengthen candidacy for Padma Shri Awarded Cricketers status.
- Contribution beyond statistics: Leadership qualities, mentoring younger players, and shaping team culture count. The selection committee evaluates how cricketers influenced the game beyond personal records.
- Service to the Indian sports ecosystem: Post-retirement contributions through coaching, administration, or commentary receive consideration. Grassroots development work and promoting cricket in smaller centers add value.
- Sustained excellence over years: One exceptional season rarely qualifies a player. The award requires prolonged brilliance across formats, conditions, and career phases spanning decades.
Conclusion:
The 2026 List of Cricketers Awarded Padma Shri marks notable progress in gender representation.
Harmanpreet Kaur becomes the fourth woman cricketer honored since Diana Edulji in 2002.
Rohit Sharma’s inclusion follows his retirement from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup triumph. His leadership ended India’s trophy drought spanning from 2013 to 2024 across ICC events.
The complete list of Padma Shri award recipients in cricket reflects Indian cricket’s evolution from Test-only pioneers to modern multi-format stars.
Early recipients like Vijay Hazare and Polly Umrigar established foundations in the 1960s.
The Padma Shri award cricket player list now includes captains from three World Cup victories: Kapil Dev (1983), MS Dhoni (2011), and Rohit Sharma (2024).
Virat Kohli’s Padma Shri award recognition in 2017 came during his peak batting years.
Women’s cricket representation remains limited. Only four players feature across 66 years despite India’s recent Women’s ODI World Cup success. This disparity suggests room for future recognition.
The list of Padma Shri award recipients in cricket, accessible through government archives, shows consistent recognition post-2000. Eight of the last ten years saw cricket honors.
Several notable names remain absent from higher awards. Only Sachin Tendulkar has received the Bharat Ratna among cricketers.
When examining how many cricketers got the Padma Bhushan award, the number stays at zero currently.
The Padma Shri award cricketer list PDF serves as official documentation maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It updates annually following Republic Day announcements.
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