Padma Awards 2026: President Draupadi Murmu honored former Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma with Padma Shri.

New Delhi, June 23. Rohit Sharma, the former captain of the Indian cricket team and who led India to the T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 titles under his captaincy, was awarded the Padma Shri for his extraordinary contribution to Indian cricket in the last two decades. President Draupadi Murmu presented this honor to Rohit Sharma at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday evening.

Rohit Sharma has been one of the best opening batsmen in the world in modern cricket. Rohit has given charismatic performance in his batting and captaincy in all three formats. Rohit, who started his career as a middle-order batsman, started playing as an opening batsman in 2013 and has established himself as the greatest opener in the last decade.

A highly prestigious honor for a great of the game

President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmuji @rashtrapatibhvn confers former #TeamIndia captain Rohit Sharma @ImRo45 with the Padma Shri award
pic.twitter.com/6EyffHr1A4

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 23, 2026

Rohit Sharma, popularly known as ‘Hitman’ among cricket fans, started his international career on June 23, 2007 with an ODI against Ireland. He has been awarded the Padma Shri exactly 19 years after his international debut. Rohit made his T20 debut on 19 September 2007 and Test debut in November 2013.

President Smt. Draupadi Murmu honored Shri Rohit Gurunath Sharma with Padma Shri for his extraordinary contribution in the field of sports. Mr. Rohit Sharma is a well-known international cricket player and former captain of the Indian national cricket team. Mr Sharma won the ICC Men’s T20… pic.twitter.com/JQ6iC1oyfb

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 23, 2026

A look at the international career of ‘Hitman’

Rohit, who has retired from Test and T20, has played 67 Tests, 285 ODIs and 159 T20s in his career so far. He has 4,301 runs in Tests with the help of 12 centuries, 11,720 runs in ODI with the help of 33 centuries and 62 half-centuries and 4,231 runs in T20 with the help of 5 centuries and 32 half-centuries.

Rohit Sharma holds the record for most double centuries (3) in ODI cricket and most sixes (653) in international cricket. Because of his extraordinary ability to hit sixes, he is also called ‘Hitman’. Rohit also holds the record for the highest individual score (264) in ODI cricket.

Rohit is India’s most successful captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Honestly, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit is considered to be India’s most successful captain. Under the captaincy of Rohit, India won the title of Asia Cup, T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Under the captaincy of Rohit, the Indian team also played the final of the ODI World Cup 2023.

President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Bhushan to Dr. Vijay Amritraj for his exceptional contribution to the field of Sports. One of the greatest tennis players of India, he represented the country in the Davis Cup for 20 consecutive years. He achieved a career-high ATP ranking… pic.twitter.com/sOlFciNhtM

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 23, 2026

#PadmaAwards

Savita Punia receives #PadmaShri from President Draupadi Murmu

One of India’s most acclaimed sports personalities. Former Captain and the current goalkeeper of Indian’s Women National Hockey Team, known as ‘The Great Wall’ of Indian women’s hockey and first… pic.twitter.com/3Z529FtfZY

— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 23, 2026

In this sequence, President Draupadi Murmu honored former tennis legend Vijay Amritraj with Padma Bhushan and Indian women’s hockey team goalkeeper Savita Punia with Padma Shri.