List of cricketers honored with Padma Shri award by Indian Government
The Indian cricketers who have been honored with the prestigious Padma Shri award for their outstanding contributions to the sport. It provides a detailed list along with the year each cricketer received the award.
Published - Apr 28, 2025, 21:49 IST | Updated - Apr 28, 2025, 21:49 IST
Updated - Apr 28, 2025, 21:49 IST
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The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award in India, honoring distinguished achievements in various fields, including sports. Numerous Indian cricketers will have been recognized for their remarkable achievements in the game of cricket over these years, with cricket being both the most awarded and most recognized sport in the award category due to cricket being a main part of Indian culture. As of April 2025, there are 40 cricketer recipients of the Padma Shri award, made up of 37 men and 3 women, which partly explains why there are more male cricketers on this list due to history. I hope to frame the discourse around the Padma Shri-awarded cricketers, with reasons for why these cricketers have achieved this prestigious recognition, and lastly their legacies as cricketers, with a table to list all the named recipients of the Padma Shri.
The Padma Shri has been awarded to cricketers since 1960. The first Indian cricketer to receive this award was Vijay Hazare. Cricketers are recognized not just for their competitive performances while advocating for and cultivating Indian cricket on and off the field or elevating the status of cricket in India and internationally. There is history and legacy in having led India to momentous victories and other career milestones. Cricketers have even broken world records or placed Indian cricket on the world stage in a developing cricketing nation. Interestingly, 24% of the awards in sports are awarded to cricketers, illustrating the significance of cricket in India.
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List of Cricketers Honored with Padma Shri
Below is a table of 22 explicitly named cricketers who have received the Padma Shri, based on available records up to 2025. While 40 cricketers have been honored, some names are not widely documented in public sources.
|
Name |
Year |
Key Contributions |
|---|---|---|
|
Vijay Hazare |
1960 |
First Test win, Captain (1952), domestic cricket legend. |
|
Morappakam Josiam Gopalan |
1964 |
Pre-independence all-rounder from Tamil Nadu. |
|
Mushtaq Ali |
1964 |
Aggressive batsman in India’s early Test teams. |
|
Vinoo Mankad |
1973 |
Legendary all-rounder, 231-run Test partnership record. |
|
Polly Umrigar |
1975 |
Prolific batsman and captain in the 1950s. |
|
Chandu Borde |
1983 |
Elegant batsman and spinner, key player in 1958–1969. |
|
Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan |
2003 |
Ace spinner, part of India’s spin quartet, later an umpire. |
|
Rahul Dravid |
2004 |
“The Wall,” technical batting maestro, Test cricket stalwart. |
|
Sourav Ganguly |
2004 |
Transformative captain, led India to overseas Test victories. |
|
Anil Kumble |
2005 |
India’s highest Test wicket-taker (619), 10-wicket haul in 1999. |
|
Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
2009 |
Led India to the 2007 T20 WC, 2011 ODI WC, and 2013 Champions Trophy. |
|
Harbhajan Singh |
2009 |
Key spinner in 2007 T20 WC and 2011 WC victories. |
|
Virender Sehwag |
2010 |
Explosive opener, scored two Test triple centuries. |
|
VVS Laxman |
2011 |
Elegant batsman, iconic 281 vs. Australia in 2001. |
|
Jhulan Goswami |
2012 |
Women’s fast bowling legend, pivotal in India’s women’s team success. |
|
Yuvraj Singh |
2014 |
2011 WC Player of the Tournament, hit six sixes in an over. |
|
Mithali Raj |
2015 |
Most runs in women’s ODIs, former women’s team captain. |
|
Virat Kohli |
2017 |
Record-breaking batsman, led India to Test dominance. |
|
Gautam Gambhir |
2019 |
Top scorer in the 2007 T20 WC and 2011 ODI WC finals. |
|
Zaheer Khan |
2021 |
Premier pacer, key to 2011 WC and Test victories abroad. |
|
Gurcharan Singh |
2023 |
Respected coach, mentored numerous cricketers. |
|
Ravichandran Ashwin |
2025 |
537 Test wickets, vital in India’s Test dominance, honored post-retirement. |
Cricketers honored with the Padma Shri embody excellence, perseverance, and national pride. Their achievements have shaped Indian cricket’s legacy, inspiring future generations to dream big and strive for greatness.
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