The Arjuna Award in cricket, a prestigious recognition conferred by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, acknowledges exceptional achievements in international cricket. This esteemed award is granted based on a sportsperson’s outstanding performance over the preceding four years, coupled with qualities such as leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline. It stands as the second-highest sporting honor in India, recognizing individuals who have significantly contributed to the sport.
Recipients of the Arjuna Award receive a bronze statue of Arjuna, a legendary archer and one of the Pandavas from the Indian epic Mahabharata. In addition to the statue, awardees are presented with a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of INR 15 lakh. The award ceremony typically takes place during the National Sports Day, observed on August 29 each year.
Over the years, a total of 58 cricketers, including 12 women, have been honored with the Arjuna Award. The list of awardees features cricketing legends like Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli, highlighting the illustrious nature of this recognition.
Let’s delve into some notable awardees and their contributions:
- Salim Durani (1961): A trailblazer, Durani was the first Indian cricketer to receive the Arjuna Award. Renowned for his all-round skills, he played 29 Tests, scoring 1202 runs and taking 75 wickets. His remarkable performances against England in 1961–62 established him as a cult figure.
- Shantha Rangaswamy (1976): Breaking barriers, Rangaswamy became the first woman cricketer to receive the Arjuna Award in 1976. Her captaincy led India to its first-ever Test win in the same year, marking a historic achievement.
- Gundappa Viswanath (1977-78): Honored for his exceptional contributions, Viswanath’s standout innings against the West Indies, scoring 97, is celebrated as one of the best performances by an Indian cricketer. He was recognized for his prowess against formidable opponents like West Indies and Australia.
- Mohammad Azharuddin: A stylish batsman, Azharuddin made a stunning debut by scoring three centuries in his first three Tests, a feat yet to be matched. Despite controversies off the field, his on-field elegance and contributions were noteworthy.
- Mithali Raj (2003): Leading by example, Mithali Raj, the captain of India’s ODI women’s team, received the Arjuna Award in 2003, just five years after making her international debut. Her remarkable century against Ireland and a fantastic 214 against England in Tests are etched in cricket history.
- Shikhar Dhawan (2021): Awarded for his standout contributions to Indian cricket, especially in the white-ball format, Dhawan showcased his prowess by becoming the second-fastest Indian to cross 5000 ODI runs in 2019.
- Mohammed Shami (2023): Recognized for his stellar performance as the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, Shami played a pivotal role as India finished runners-up in the tournament.
Here is the list of Arjuna Award winners for cricket from 1’st Arjuna award to till Mohammed shami
- 1961 – Salim Durani
- 1964 – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
- 1965 – Vijay Manjrekar
- 1966 – Chandu Borde
- 1967 – Ajit Wadekar
- 1968 – Erapalli Anantharao Srinivas
- 1969 – Bishan Singh Bedi
- 1970 – Dilip Sardesai
- 1971 – Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan
- 1972 – Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar and Eknath Solkar
- 1975 – Sunil Gavaskar
- 1976 – Shantha Rangaswamy
- 1977-78 – Gundappa Viswanath
- 1979-80 – Kapil Dev
- 1980-81 – Chetan Chauhan and Syed Kirmani
- 1981 – Dilip Vengsarkar
- 1982 – Mohinder Amarnath
- 1983 – Diana Edulji
- 1984 – Ravi Shastri
- 1985 – Shubhangi Kulkarni
- 1986 – Sandhya Agarwal and Mohammad Azharuddin
- 1989 – Madan Lal
- 1993 – Manoj Prabhakar and Kiran More
- 1994 – Sachin Tendulkar
- 1995 – Anil Kumble
- 1996 – Javagal Srinath
- 1997 – Sourav Ganguly and Ajay Jadeja
- 1998 – Rahul Dravid and Nayan Mongia
- 2000 – Venkatesh Prasad
- 2001 – VVS Laxman
- 2002 – Virender Sehwag
- 2003 – Mithali Raj and Harbhajan Singh
- 2005 – Anju Jain
- 2006 – Anjum Chopra
- 2009 – Gautam Gambhir
- 2010 – Jhulan Goswami
- 2011 – Zaheer Khan
- 2012 – Yuvraj Singh
- 2013 – Virat Kohli
- 2014 – Ravichandran Ashwin
- 2015 – Rohit Sharma
- 2016 – Ajinkya Rahane
- 2017 – Harmanpreet Kaur and Cheteshwar Pujara
- 2018 – Smriti Mandhana
- 2019 – Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav
- 2020 – Deepti Sharma and Ishant Sharma
- 2021 – Shikhar Dhawan
- 2023 – Mohammed Shami
The complete list of awardees reflects the evolution of cricket in India and the impact these players have had on the sport. From the inaugural recipient Salim Durani to the recent awardee Mohammed Shami, each name represents a chapter in Indian cricket history.
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