Prolific batters Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were named the Best International Cricketers (Men’s and Women’s) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 ceremony held on Sunday, recognising their outstanding performances during the 2024–2025 season.
Gill received the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the Best International Cricketer (Men), marking his second Cricketer of the Year honour after previously winning it in 2023. Mandhana, meanwhile, claimed the women’s award for a record fifth time.
Former cricket stars Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid, and Mithali Raj were honoured with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour conferred by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in recognition of their exceptional contributions to Indian cricket.
The ceremony also celebrated the achievements of India’s five trophy-winning teams, including the champions of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025, ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Gill enjoyed a remarkable 2025 season, establishing himself as one of India’s most dependable batters in the longer formats of the game. On India’s tour of England, Gill led from the front in the five-Test series, finishing as the top run-scorer with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40. His performance included four centuries and a highest score of 269.
Gill also played a key role in India’s triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Entering the tournament as the world’s No.1-ranked ODI batter, he scored an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh national cricket team in India’s opening match and ended the tournament with 188 runs.
“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,” Gill said. He also credited his teammates and family for their support and contribution to his success.
Mandhana also enjoyed an exceptional year with the bat. She finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 runs in ODIs — the highest by any woman cricketer in a single calendar year. In doing so, she became the first batter in women’s ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year.
Mandhana also played a crucial role in India’s maiden title victory at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, scoring 434 runs in nine matches to emerge as India’s leading run-scorer and the second-highest overall in the tournament.
Before the World Cup, Mandhana smashed a 50-ball century against Australia women’s national cricket team in New Delhi, registering the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter and surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous 52-ball record.
Other domestic award winners included Shafali Verma, who won Best Senior Women’s Domestic One-Day Cricketer; Ira Jadhav, who was named Best Women’s Domestic Cricketer; Harsh Dubey, who received the award for Best All-Rounder in the Ranji Trophy; and Ayush Mhatre, who was named Best All-Rounder in Domestic Limited-Overs Competitions for the 2024–25 season.
