Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana Shine at BCCI Naman Awards 2026
Celebrating Excellence in Cricket
On Sunday, the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 honored exceptional performances in cricket, with Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana being recognized as the Best International Cricketers for men and women, respectively, for their remarkable achievements during the 2024-2025 season.
Gill was awarded the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award, marking his second time receiving the Cricketer of the Year accolade, having previously won it in 2023. Meanwhile, this marks the fifth time Mandhana has received this honor.
Shubman Gill. File
The Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor from the BCCI, was presented to former cricket legends Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid, and Mithali Raj for their invaluable contributions to Indian cricket.
Gill had an outstanding year in 2025, solidifying his position as a key player in the longer formats of the game. During the England tour, he excelled in the five-Test series, emerging as the leading run-scorer with 754 runs across 10 innings, boasting an impressive average of 75.40, which included four centuries and a top score of 269.
His significant contributions also played a crucial role in India's Champions Trophy victory last year, where he entered the tournament as the world's top-ranked ODI batter. He scored an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in the opening match and concluded the tournament with a total of 188 runs.
Mandhana concluded 2025 with a remarkable tally of 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs, setting a record for the most runs by a woman in a calendar year. This achievement made her the first female batter in ODI history to surpass 1,000 runs in a single year.
Additionally, she was instrumental in India's first Women's World Cup title, scoring 434 runs in nine matches, making her the leading run-scorer for India and the second-highest overall in the tournament.
Before the World Cup, Mandhana made headlines by scoring a 50-ball century against Australia in New Delhi, setting a new record for the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter, eclipsing Virat Kohli's previous record of 52 balls.