More than 200 trophies and awards were up for grabs at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Annual Awards Ceremony 2025, held at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, Kolkata, on Saturday. Along with the trophies and medals, a cumulative prize money pool of Rs 2 crore was distributed among the winners and teams.
Players across different age categories — men and women — were felicitated for their achievements at the national and domestic stages. Apart from players, officials, ground staff and office bearers employees were also honoured during the evening.
The event was inaugurated with a speech from CAB president Snehasish Ganguly, followed by the Mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim, and West Bengal Sports Minister, Aroop Biswas. In his address, the Sports Minister urged the Bengal cricketers to end the long wait for Ranji Trophy glory.
“While growing up, we have seen glorious days of Bengal cricket. I can see the stalwarts sitting here in front of me, and they have all made us proud over the years,” said Biswas. “I urge the Bengal team to bring the Ranji Trophy back to Bengal, which we have been missing in recent times.”
Bengal have lifted the Ranji Trophy only twice, while finishing runner-up 13 times.
The evening was graced by former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who felicitated India pacer Akash Deep with the CAB Special Award for his impressive performance in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. The seamer, who began his cricketing journey with Bengal and continues to represent the state, expressed his deep gratitude to CAB.
“My mother gave birth to me, but it was CAB who gave birth to my cricketing journey,” said Akash. “Every pillar of CAB, be it coaches, selectors, ground staff, or even canteen staff, the love I have received from everyone is indescribable in words.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Ganguly recalled the thrill of receiving awards in his formative years. “This is a special night for every player winning an award; it reminds me of my time,” he said. “Back then, this was held at Eden Gardens, and I used to wait for the moment when my name would be called out.”
“This is a great platform, one that recognises talent and reassures the youth that the association will continue to support them and shape their careers,” he added.
Along with Akash, another Bengal stalwart, Abhimanyu Easwaran, was also presented with the CAB Special Award for being a member of the Indian team for the England series and his consistent services to the Bengal team.
Other highlights included the felicitation of Arup Bhattacharya and Shyama Shaw, who were honoured with the Kartick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions as players, and later as administrators and coaches. The left-hand batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Bhattacharya, represented Bengal between 1980 and 1990, and has been a true devotee of Bengal cricket throughout. His services to Bengal cricket were recognised by the association. Shaw, left-hand batter and left-arm seamer, represented India in three Tests in 1995 and has represented Bengal and Railways between the late 1980s to early 2000s.
Among the dignitaries present were legendary India pacer and former women’s team captain Jhulan Goswami, along with ex-India men’s cricketers Ashok Dinda, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Manoj Tiwary, Arun Lal, Sambaran Banerjee and others. They presented awards to several winners, making their evening even more memorable.
Among the men’s awards, Sudip Kumar Gharami was named the CAB Cricketer of the Year, Shahbaz Ahmad won the Gentleman Cricketer of the Year award, Sudip Chatterjee finished as Bengal’s highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, while Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal bagged honours as the highest wicket-taker.
In women’s cricket, Saika Ishaque walked away with four awards for her standout performances, while Dhara Gujjar bagged five. Tanusree Sarkar, who collected a total of Rs 55,000 alongside multiple accolades, was named Best Senior Women’s Cricketer of the Year.
The Bengal Pro T20 League saw big prize money. The men’s champions, Adamas Howrah Warriors, pocketed Rs 50 lakh, while runner-up Murshidabad Kings took home Rs 30 lakh. In the women’s edition, Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers claimed Rs 30 lakh as champions, with Sobisco Smashers Malda earning Rs 20 lakh as runners-up.
Unlike their football counterparts, East Bengal shone in cricket last season, emerging as joint-winners of the CAB First Division League (with Bhawanipore Club), finishing third in the Senior Knockout Tournament and clinching the prestigious P Sen Memorial Invitation Tournament. Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, triumphed in the JC Mukherjee T20 Tournament. All affiliated clubs across divisions, including sub-divisional and district levels, were also presented with trophies and cash awards.
The four-hour-long ceremony was moderated by senior journalists Boria Majumdar and Gautam Bhattacharya, along with commentator and former cricketer Joydeep Mukherjee. To lighten the mood, renowned Bengali singers Rupankar Bagchi and Ujjaini Mukherjee entertained the audience with soulful performances.
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