Rohit Sharma receives Padma Shri from President Murmu, wife Ritika beams with pride
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma, hockey star Savita Punia and tennis great Vijay Amritraj were among the sports stars who received their Padma Awards from President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday in New Delhi.
T20 World Cup-winning former India captain Rohit Sharma received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, June 23. Rohit was among 65 personalities honoured during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony. Hockey star Savita Punia also received the Padma Shri, while tennis great Vijay Amritraj was conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
Having missed the first investiture ceremony in May due to professional and personal commitments, Rohit was present in New Delhi on Tuesday along with his wife, Ritika Sajdeh. Ritika watched with pride as Rohit walked onto the stage to receive the honour from President Murmu.
Before accepting the award, Rohit acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a bow. Dressed in a black suit, the former India captain wore a bright smile throughout the ceremony.
This year, Rohit Sharma shared the cricketing spotlight with national women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, who also received the Padma Shri for her stellar leadership and historic international success. Harmanpreet, who led India to ODI World Cup glory last year, received the Padma award during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony in May.
With this investiture, Rohit Sharma enters a highly exclusive club. He becomes one of around 40 Indian cricketers to have ever been conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri. He joins an iconic lineage that traces the entire journey of modern Indian cricket, from early legends like Vijay Hazare and Nawab Pataudi to modern masters of the game like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
Alongside the Indian cricket captain, other eminent personalities honoured include cinema icon Mammootty, legendary playback singer Alka Yagnik, and American oncologist Dattatreyudu Nori.
The timing of the accolade marks a fitting validation of Rohit Sharma’s transformational era at the helm of Indian cricket.
The Mumbai batsman's leadership arc reached legendary status after he captained India to an undefeated, historic triumph at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, breaking an 11-year global silverware drought. He consolidated that legacy by leading the side to a clinical ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2025, firmly establishing India as the dominant force in the white-ball formats.
Beyond his tactical astuteness, the honour recognises a stellar run-scoring footprint that includes being the only batsman in cricket history to smash three ODI double-centuries and five T20I hundreds.
SAVITA AND AMRITRAJ HONOURED
Savita Punia received the Padma Shri Award earlier in the day.
The 35-year-old has been the undeniable backbone of the women's national team across 308 international caps, memorably anchoring India's historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Under her formidable leadership, the side clinched a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, won the 2022 FIH Nations Cup, and secured back-to-back Women's Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2023 and 2024. For Punia, who was named the FIH Women's Goalkeeper of the Year for three consecutive years, the prestigious civilian honour stands as a monumental validation of her decades-long journey and her status as a generational icon of Indian sport.
Tennis legend and global sporting diplomat Vijay Amritraj was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, during the second investiture ceremony.
A true trailblazer who put Indian tennis on the international map, Amritraj reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 16 in 1980 and famously guided India to two historic Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987. A 15-time winner on the ATP Tour with iconic Grand Slam quarter-final appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open, his legendary status has only expanded post-retirement through his extensive philanthropic work, sports commentary, and role as a UN Messenger of Peace. Having received the Padma Shri over four decades ago in 1983, his elevation to the Padma Bhushan caps off a phenomenal legacy that continues to inspire generations of Indian athletes.
T20 World Cup-winning former India captain Rohit Sharma received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday, June 23. Rohit was among 65 personalities honoured during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony. Hockey star Savita Punia also received the Padma Shri, while tennis great Vijay Amritraj was conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
Having missed the first investiture ceremony in May due to professional and personal commitments, Rohit was present in New Delhi on Tuesday along with his wife, Ritika Sajdeh. Ritika watched with pride as Rohit walked onto the stage to receive the honour from President Murmu.
Before accepting the award, Rohit acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a bow. Dressed in a black suit, the former India captain wore a bright smile throughout the ceremony.
This year, Rohit Sharma shared the cricketing spotlight with national women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, who also received the Padma Shri for her stellar leadership and historic international success. Harmanpreet, who led India to ODI World Cup glory last year, received the Padma award during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony in May.
With this investiture, Rohit Sharma enters a highly exclusive club. He becomes one of around 40 Indian cricketers to have ever been conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri. He joins an iconic lineage that traces the entire journey of modern Indian cricket, from early legends like Vijay Hazare and Nawab Pataudi to modern masters of the game like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
Alongside the Indian cricket captain, other eminent personalities honoured include cinema icon Mammootty, legendary playback singer Alka Yagnik, and American oncologist Dattatreyudu Nori.
The timing of the accolade marks a fitting validation of Rohit Sharma’s transformational era at the helm of Indian cricket.
The Mumbai batsman's leadership arc reached legendary status after he captained India to an undefeated, historic triumph at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, breaking an 11-year global silverware drought. He consolidated that legacy by leading the side to a clinical ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2025, firmly establishing India as the dominant force in the white-ball formats.
Beyond his tactical astuteness, the honour recognises a stellar run-scoring footprint that includes being the only batsman in cricket history to smash three ODI double-centuries and five T20I hundreds.
SAVITA AND AMRITRAJ HONOURED
Savita Punia received the Padma Shri Award earlier in the day.
The 35-year-old has been the undeniable backbone of the women's national team across 308 international caps, memorably anchoring India's historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Under her formidable leadership, the side clinched a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, won the 2022 FIH Nations Cup, and secured back-to-back Women's Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2023 and 2024. For Punia, who was named the FIH Women's Goalkeeper of the Year for three consecutive years, the prestigious civilian honour stands as a monumental validation of her decades-long journey and her status as a generational icon of Indian sport.
Tennis legend and global sporting diplomat Vijay Amritraj was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, during the second investiture ceremony.
A true trailblazer who put Indian tennis on the international map, Amritraj reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 16 in 1980 and famously guided India to two historic Davis Cup finals in 1974 and 1987. A 15-time winner on the ATP Tour with iconic Grand Slam quarter-final appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open, his legendary status has only expanded post-retirement through his extensive philanthropic work, sports commentary, and role as a UN Messenger of Peace. Having received the Padma Shri over four decades ago in 1983, his elevation to the Padma Bhushan caps off a phenomenal legacy that continues to inspire generations of Indian athletes.
