Explore the prestigious Padma Shri awardees among Indian cricketers, celebrating their exceptional contributions to the sport and the nation. From legends like Sachin Tendulkar to iconic players across generations, this list highlights the achievements of those who brought pride to Indian cricket. Discover the remarkable stories behind these celebrated individuals in the upcoming awards feature.
A total of 40 Indian cricketers have been conferred with the Padma Shri award.
Instituted on 2 January 1954, the Padma Shri recognizes exceptional contributions in various fields, including arts, literature, science, education, medicine, acting, social service, public affairs, and more. The Government of India presents this prestigious award annually on Republic Day (26th January).
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin recently joined the elite list of cricketers to receive the Padma Shri. The award was conferred upon him just weeks after his retirement from international cricket, marking another significant milestone in his illustrious career.
Vijay Hazare, a legendary former Indian captain, became the first cricketer to receive the Padma Shri in 1960. Since then, 37 male cricketers and three female cricketers have been honored with this recognition.
With that, let’s explore the complete list of Indian cricketers who have been awarded the Padma Shri.
Full list of Indian cricketers to win Padma Shri award:
- Vijay Hazare – 1960
- Jasu Patel – 1960
- Nari Contractor – 1962
- Polly Umrigar – 1962
- Syed Mushtaq Ali – 1963
- M.J. Gopalan – 1964
- D.B. Deodhar – 1965
- Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi – 1967
- Chandu Borde – 1969
- Bishan Singh Bedi – 1970
- E.A.S Prasanna – 1970
- Gundappa Vishwanath – 1971
- B.S Chandrasekhar – 1972
- Ajit Wadekar – 1972
- Farokh Engineer – 1973
- Pankaj Roy – 1975
- Syed Kirmani – 1982
- Kapil Dev – 1982
- Chuni Goswami – 1984
- Mohammad Shahid – 1986
- Dilip Vengsarkar – 1987
- Mohammad Azharuddin – 1988
- Sachin Tendulkar – 1999
- Diana Edulji – 2002
- Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan – 2003
- Rahul Dravid – 2004
- Sourav Ganguly – 2004
- Anil Kumble – 2005
- MS Dhoni – 2009
- Harbhajan Singh – 2009
- Virender Sehwag – 2010
- VVS Laxman – 2011
- Jhulan Goswami – 2012
- Yuvraj Singh – 2014
- Mithali Raj – 2015
- Virat Kohli – 2017
- Gautam Gambhir – 2019
- Zaheer Khan – 2020
- Gurcharan Singh – 2023
- Ravichandran Ashwin – 2025
