Team India’s cricketing icons, Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, will be awarded the country’s prestigious civilian honour, the Padma Shri Award, for their distinguished service in sports. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the Padma Awardees on January 25, 2026, ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. The awards are approved by the President of India and are usually presented at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi around March or April.
Rohit will be recognised for his illustrious career built on consistency and leadership. As captain, he led India to two historic titles — the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. He was also a part of India’s title-winning squads in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Additionally, Rohit captained the Indian team to the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023.
Harmanpreet, meanwhile, etched her name in history by becoming the first captain of the Indian women’s cricket team to lead the country to an ODI World Cup title in 2025. Her fearless batting approach and strong leadership have inspired a generation of cricketers and earned Indian women’s cricket widespread global recognition.
Sharing her excitement in a video released by Mumbai Indians, Harmanpreet said, “My dad got a call from President House. This year I’m going to get the Padma Shri Award. I think it’s a very big moment for me. And I’m happy that, you know, before me my parents got to know.”
She added, “The moment I started playing cricket, I’ve been dreaming about winning the World Cup and Arjuna Award and then Padma Shri Award, this is a very big achievement for me.”
Harmanpreet also congratulated Rohit and said, “Many manycongratulations to [Rohit] also. We have seen how, you know, he has been really working hard and I think it’s a great moment for him.”
A total of 113 individuals will be honoured with the Padma Awards this year across various fields. Awardees from the sports category include Savita Punia, Praveen Kumar, Baldev Singh, Bhagwandas Raikwar, K Pajanivel, Vijay Amritraj, and Vladimer Mestvirishvili (posthumous).
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