We are proud of you: BCCI congratulates Rohit Sharma on becoming 4th Indian cricketer to receive Khel Ratna
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday congratulated limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Ishant Sharma and spinner Deepti Sharma on being conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna award respectively.
India’s vice-captain and opening batsman Rohit Sharma is among the 5 athletes who will receive India’s highest sporting honour — the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 2020. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Friday announced the list of winners for Khel Ratna, Arjuna and other sports awards.
Rohit Sharma is only the 4th cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred with Khel Ratna Award. Tendulkar was the first Indian cricketer to bag the Khel Ratna Award when he did so in 1998. Dhoni received the sporting honour after leading India to the T20 World Cup in 2007 while Virat Kohli won the award along with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu in 2018.
BCCI’s congratulatory tweet read: “Congratulations @ImRo45 for being conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, 2020, India’s highest sporting honour. He is only the fourth Indian cricketer to receive this award. We are proud of you, Hitman!”
Congratulations @ImRo45 for being conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, 2020, India’s highest sporting honour. He is only the fourth Indian cricketer to receive this award.
We are proud of you, Hitman! pic.twitter.com/ErHJtBQoj9
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 21, 2020
Besides Rohit, his teammate Ishant Sharma and women cricketer Deepti Sharma will be getting the Arjuna Award. BCCI congratulated both Ishant and Deepti in separate tweets.
Congratulations to our all-rounder @Deepti_Sharma06 on being conferred upon with the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2020.
May you continue soaring new heights. pic.twitter.com/GlYv37IMB5
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 21, 2020
Congratulations to our senior most Test bowler @ImIshant for winning the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2020.
Keep going, champ! pic.twitter.com/WyHjMsOYBG
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 21, 2020
Along with Rohit Sharma, Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, table tennis champion Manika Batra, India hockey women’s captain Rani Rampal and Paralympic gold medalist Mariappan Thangavelu will also get the Khel Ratna Award.
This is the first time in the history of National Sports awards that 5 sportspeople will be receiving Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and 27 athletes will be conferred with Arjuna Award. The ceremony will be conducted virtually with President Ramnath Kovind giving away the awards on Aug 29.
