New Delhi lit up for Indian cricket on Sunday night. The BCCI Naman Awards 2026, held on March 15 at a glittering ceremony in the capital, brought together India's cricketing royalty — past and present — to celebrate a season unlike any other in the history of the sport. At the centre of it all stood two names: Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana, both walking away with the highest individual honours in Indian cricket.
This was not just an awards night. It was a celebration of a golden era — one that saw India win five ICC trophies in a single cycle, a feat never achieved before by any nation in cricket history.
Shubman Gill: The Polly Umrigar Award — For the Second Time
Shubman Gill, India's Test and ODI captain, was named the Best Men's International Cricketer for the 2024–25 season, winning the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the second time in his career — the first being in 2023.
The 26-year-old had a year that was nothing short of exceptional. In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 against England, Gill topped the run charts with 754 runs from just 10 innings at a breathtaking average of 75.40. He then entered the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as the world's number one ranked ODI batter — and delivered. A stunning unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in the tournament opener set the tone for a campaign that ended with India lifting the trophy. Gill finished that tournament with 188 runs.
Collecting his award on Sunday night, Gill was visibly moved. "Firstly, thank you to the BCCI for recognising me with this award. Many greats and legends of Indian cricket have received it before, so it is a huge honour for me to be here. What we as an Indian cricket group were able to achieve last year was truly tremendous — five ICC trophies, something I don't think has ever happened before," he said. He went on to thank his teammates, parents, and fans before wishing all Indian teams continued success on the global stage.
Smriti Mandhana: A Record Fifth Time — In a Year That Redefined Women's Cricket
If Gill's story was remarkable, Smriti Mandhana's was historic. The left-handed batter from Karnataka was named the Best Women's International Cricketer for a record fifth time — a number that places her in an entirely different category from every other player in the history of the award.
The numbers behind the award tell the story clearly. Mandhana finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs — including 1,362 in ODIs alone, the most runs scored by any woman cricketer in a single calendar year. She became the first batter in women's ODI history to cross the 1,000-run mark in a single calendar year. She also set a new record for the most ODI centuries in a calendar year, smashing five hundreds in 2025.
Her contribution to India's maiden Women's ODI World Cup victory was central. Mandhana aggregated 434 runs across nine matches, finishing as India's leading run scorer and the second-highest overall in the entire tournament. Before the World Cup, she had already thrilled fans everywhere with a stunning 50-ball century against Australia in New Delhi — the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter, surpassing Virat Kohli's 52-ball record.
She also picked up the Highest Run Getter in Women's ODIs award separately on the same night — a double recognition that underlined just how dominant her 2025 was.
Rahul Dravid, Roger Binny, and Mithali Raj: Legends Honoured for a Lifetime
The evening belonged not just to the present generation but also to those who built the foundation for it.
Rahul Dravid, the architect of India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph as head coach, received the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award — the BCCI's highest honour. Dravid's contribution to Indian cricket spans three decades — as a technically flawless Test batter, as a mentor to an entire generation of young players through the NCA, and as the calm, methodical coach who helped India end their T20 World Cup drought.
Roger Binny, the BCCI President and a member of India's legendary 1983 World Cup-winning team, received the same Lifetime Achievement Award. Binny had finished the 1983 World Cup as its highest wicket-taker — a statistic that still astounds — and later coached India's Under-19 team to a World Cup title in 2000.
Mithali Raj received the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women — a recognition long overdue for a woman who transformed the landscape of women's cricket in India. As the highest run scorer in women's ODIs with 7,805 runs at an average of 50.68, and a captain who led India to two Women's World Cup finals, Raj's legacy is immeasurable.
Five Trophy-Winning Teams Felicitated — A Night of Collective Glory
The ceremony also celebrated the most extraordinary team achievement in Indian cricket history. Five ICC trophy-winning squads were felicitated on stage together for the first time, representing a sweep of global tournaments that no cricket-playing nation has ever matched.
The five teams honoured were: the Men's team that won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Women's team that won the maiden ODI World Cup 2025, the Women's U-19 team that won their World Cup in 2025, the Men's U-19 team that won the World Cup in 2026, and the Men's senior team that won the T20 World Cup 2026.
Seeing all five squads on stage together was a moment that summed up exactly why Indian cricket — men's and women's, senior and junior — is the most formidable cricket programme on the planet right now.
Other Notable Winners on the Night
The Naman Awards also recognised excellence in domestic cricket and emerging talent. Harshit Rana was named Best International Debut in the men's category, while N Sree Charani took the same honour in women's cricket. Deepti Sharma was recognised as the highest wicket-taker in Women's ODIs. Ayush Mhatre of Mumbai won the Lala Amarnath Award for best domestic limited-overs all-rounder, while Vidarbha's Harsh Dubey claimed the same honour in the longer format. Shafali Verma was honoured as the Best Senior Women's Domestic Cricketer of the season.
The Mumbai Cricket Association was recognised for the Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments — a fitting nod to Mumbai's enduring status as the cradle of Indian domestic cricket.
A Golden Era — And It Is Not Over Yet
As the lights went down on the Naman Awards 2026, one thought dominated every conversation in the room: this generation of Indian cricketers is extraordinary. The combination of Gill's serene strokeplay, Mandhana's blazing aggression, and a team culture built over years of disciplined excellence has put India in a position no cricket nation has ever occupied.
Five ICC trophies. Two individual champions. Three legends honoured for a lifetime of service. One unforgettable night in New Delhi.
Indian cricket has never looked this good — and judging by what is on the horizon, the best may still be to come.
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