Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Mar 14: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will celebrate standout achievements in Indian cricket at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026, set to take place on March 15 in New Delhi. The annual ceremony recognises excellence across international, domestic and age-group cricket while honouring individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport in India.
Former India stalwarts Roger Binny and Rahul Dravid will receive the prestigious Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for their long and distinguished service to Indian cricket. Former India women’s captain Mithali Raj will be honoured with the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women for her pivotal role in raising the profile of women’s cricket in the country.
Binny is being recognised for his role in India’s triumph at the 1983 Cricket World Cup, where he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, and for his later contributions as a coach, selector and BCCI president. Dravid will be honoured for an illustrious playing career that yielded more than 24,000 international runs, as well as his influential work as a mentor and coach, including guiding India to victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Among other top honours, India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will receive the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men) for the 2024–25 season. Star batter Smriti Mandhana will be named Best International Cricketer (Women) for a record fifth time.
India opener Shafali Verma and Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Ayush Mhatre will also be honoured for their standout performances during the 2024–25 domestic season. The Mumbai Cricket Association will be recognised for the best performance in BCCI domestic tournaments.
A major highlight of the ceremony will be the recognition of five Indian teams that recently secured global titles, including victories in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, and the men’s and women’s ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup events, marking a historic phase of success for Indian cricket.
Key Award Winners
• Polly Umrigar Award (Best International Cricketer, Men 2024–25): Shubman Gill
• Best International Cricketer (Women 2024–25): Smriti Mandhana
• Highest Wickets in Women’s ODIs (2024–25): Deepti Sharma
• Highest Runs in Women’s ODIs (2024–25): Smriti Mandhana
• Best International Debut (Women): N Sree Charani
• Best International Debut (Men): Harshit Rana
• Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments: Mumbai Cricket Association
• Best Domestic Umpire (2023–24): Ulhas Gandhe
Domestic Cricket Awards
• Ranji Trophy Highest Wicket-Taker (Elite): Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha)
• Ranji Trophy Highest Wicket-Taker (Plate): Suchith J (Nagaland)
• Ranji Trophy Highest Run-Getter (Elite): Yash Rathod (Vidarbha)
• Ranji Trophy Highest Run-Getter (Plate): Snehal Kauthankar (Goa)
• Lala Amarnath Award (Best All-Rounder, Limited Overs): Ayush Mhatre (Mumbai)
• Lala Amarnath Award (Best All-Rounder, Ranji Trophy): Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha)
• Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy (Best Junior Woman Cricketer): Ira Jadhav (Mumbai)
• Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy (Best Senior Woman Cricketer): Shafali Verma (Haryana)
Age-Group Awards
• U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy – Highest Wickets (Elite): Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh)
• U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy – Highest Wickets (Plate): Kishan Sarkar (Tripura)
• U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy – Highest Runs (Elite): Shanthanu Singh (Uttar Pradesh)
• U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy – Highest Runs (Plate): Pritam Raj (Bihar)
• U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy – Highest Wickets (Elite): Hemchudeshan J (Tamil Nadu)
• U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy – Highest Wickets (Plate): Arkajit Roy (Tripura)
• U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy – Highest Runs (Elite): Nitya J Pandya (Baroda)
• U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy – Highest Runs (Plate): Ragavan Ramamoorthy (Pondicherry)
• U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy – Highest Wickets (Elite): Vicky Ostwal (Maharashtra)
• U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy – Highest Wickets (Plate): Dipjyoti Saikia (Assam)
• U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy – Highest Runs (Elite): Macneil H N (Karnataka)
• U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy – Highest Runs (Plate): R Jashwanth Shreeram (Pondicherry)
The awards ceremony will celebrate a landmark period for Indian cricket, highlighting achievements from grassroots to the international stage