India’s cricket stars shine: Gill, Mandhana win top BCCI awards

Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were the toast of Indian cricket on Sunday, bagging the top honors at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 for their outstanding performances during the 2024-2025 season . Gill was named the Best International Cricketer (Men) and received the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award , while Mandhana claimed the Best International Cricketer (Women) award for the fifth time.

For Gill , this marks his second Cricketer of the Year award , having first won it in 2023. The young batter cemented his reputation as India’s most reliable long-format player, finishing as the top run-scorer on the England tour with 754 runs in 10 innings, averaging 75.40, including four centuries and a highest score of 269. He also played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, entering the tournament as the world’s No.1-ranked ODI batter and scoring an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in the opening match.

Mandhana had a record-breaking year, amassing 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs, the most by any woman in a single calendar year. She became the first woman in ODI history to cross 1,000 runs in a year, and her consistency helped India lift their maiden Women’s World Cup , finishing as India’s top scorer with 434 runs in nine matches. Earlier in the year, she set the record for the fastest ODI century by an Indian, smashing a 50-ball hundred against Australia, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 52-ball effort.

The ceremony also celebrated legends of Indian cricket, with Roger Binny , Rahul Dravid , and Mithali Raj receiving the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award , the BCCI’s highest honor, for their outstanding contribution to the game.

The Naman Awards highlighted brilliance on the field and the trailblazers who have shaped Indian cricket, making 2025 a year to remember for both men and women cricketers.