BCCI Faces Backlash Over Errors at Naman Awards Ceremony

The BCCI's Naman Awards ceremony on March 15 drew criticism from fans due to significant errors, including incorrect graphics and misidentifications of players. The event celebrated India's cricketing achievements, honoring both men's and women's teams for their ICC victories. However, the mistakes overshadowed the recognition, leading to discussions about the treatment of women's cricket and the professionalism of the BCCI. Shubman Gill was mistakenly referred to as the captain of the Champions Trophy-winning team, prompting further backlash. Despite the controversies, Gill received the Polly Umrigar Award for his outstanding performance in 2025.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 16, 2026, 15:23 IST

BCCI's Naman Awards Ceremony Under Fire

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) encountered significant criticism from cricket enthusiasts during their annual 'Naman Awards' held on March 15 in Delhi. The event not only celebrated the top performers of 2025 but also honored all five Indian teams that secured ICC trophies, including the senior men's team for their victories in the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup, as well as the senior women's team for their remarkable achievement in the 2025 Women's World Cup. Additionally, both the U19 men's and women's teams were recognized for their respective World Cup wins in 2025 and 2026.

Major Mistakes by BCCI

As the U19 women's team, led by captain Nikki Prasad, took the stage to receive their award, fans quickly pointed out a glaring error: the graphic displayed behind them featured the senior women's team, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, celebrating their World Cup victory from the previous year.

Another tweet criticized the BCCI for treating women's cricket as mere tokenism.

Later, three players from each victorious senior team were invited to engage in a discussion with Harsha Bhogle. Harmanpreet Kaur and Suryakumar Yadav represented the teams that won the 2025 Women's World Cup and the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, respectively, while Shubman Gill, vice-captain of the 2025 Champions Trophy-winning team, also participated. Notably, Rohit Sharma, who captained India to victory in the Champions Trophy, was absent from the event.

However, another mistake occurred when Gill was mistakenly introduced as the captain of the Champions Trophy-winning team.

Following the event, BCCI deleted the post that incorrectly referred to Shubman Gill as the winning captain of the Champions Trophy.

Despite the controversies, Gill was honored with the Polly Umrigar Award for the men's cricketer of the year, having scored an impressive 1764 runs in 35 matches at an average of 49, including seven centuries.