Rohit Sharma awarded India’s highest sporting honour Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

hitman

India’s One Day International (ODI) vice-captain Rohit Sharma, has become just the fourth cricketer to be conferred with India’s highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. Rohit will be receiving this award for his batting excellence during a four year period from January 2016 to December 2019. Sharma has become just the 4th cricketer to win the Khel Ratna despite his not so great record in the test format which shows his dominance in the white-ball cricket. Sachin Tendulkar , MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are the other cricketers who are recipients of this prestigeous award.

Apart from Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal ,para-athlete Mariappan Thangavelu, table tennis champion Manika Batra have been finalised to get the prestigious award. 27 players have been conferred with the Arjuna award by the sports ministry’s selection committee. The awards will be held virtually on August 29 due to the ongoing COVID-19. For the Arjuna, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma, teen shooting sensations Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker, sprinter Dutee Chand, footballer Sandesh Jhinghan, woman cricketer Deepti Sharma, woman boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Indian luge legend Shiva Keshavan are some of the popular names.

Rohit had an outstanding 2019 where he scored 1490 runs in the limited overs format (50 overs) at an average of over 50 and also finished as the leading run scorer in the World Cup with five tons in the tournament. He was also sent in as as an opener in Test Cricket where he made 556 runs in five matches. In the same year he also became the first batsman ever to score five tons in a World Cup.

In a video posted on Social Media, Rohit thanked fans well wishes and support throughout the year. He further said that it is a great privilege for him to get such a sporting honour and he is very happy about it.

Sportspersons to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award:

Rohit Sharma

Rani Rampal

Manika Batra

Mariappan Thangavelu

Vinesh Phogat

Complete list of Arjuna Awardees:

1.Atanu Das (Archery)
2. Shiva Keshavan (Luge)
3. Dutee Chand (Athletics)
4. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (Badminton)
5. Chirag Shetty (Badminton)
6. Vishesh Bhrighuvanshi (Basketball)
7. Ishant Sharma (Cricket)
8. Deepti Sharma (Cricket)
9. Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)
10. Manish Kaushik (Boxing)
11. Sawant Ajay Anant (Equestrian)
12. Sandhesh Jhingan (Football)
13. Aditi Ashok (Golf)
14. Akashdeep Singh (Hockey)
15. Deepika Thakur (Hockey)
16. Deepak Niwas Hooda (Kabaddi)
17. Sarika Kale (Kho-kho)
18. Suyash Jadhav (Para-Swimming)
19. Manish narwal (Para-Shooting)
20. Sandeep Chaudhary (Para-Athletics)
21. Saurabh Chaudhary (Shooting)
22. Manu Bhaker (Shooting)
23. Sanil Shetty (Table-Tennis)
24. Divij Sharan (Tennis)
25. Divya Kakran (Wrestling)
26. Rahul Aware (Wrestling)
27. Dattu Bhokanal (Rowing)