The Padma Shri, one of India’s most prestigious civilian honours, is awarded for significant contributions across various fields, including education, arts, science, medicine, social service, and public service. After Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri is the fourth biggest award in the country. It is also given in the cricket world. It is given to cricketers for making their own identity in cricket and contributing to the country.
Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was awarded this award on the eve of India’s Republic Day on January 25. Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the most successful bowlers in Test cricket. He has played 106 Test matches and taken 537 wickets. With this, he joined the cricketers list who won the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy and some of the greatest players in the country. He got this award just a few weeks after retiring from international cricket.
Also, read R Ashwin Awarded Padam Shri
After Ashwin’s historic moment in Indian sports, here we take a look at all the cricketers who have won this award since the inception of the Padma Shri award.
List of Indian Cricketers Who Received the Padma Shri Award
| Cricketer | Year |
|---|---|
| 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 Viswanath | 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 |
Padma Shri Award in Recognition of Excellence
The prestigious civilian honour is given for making unforgettable contributions in different fields. Padma Shri is one of the most prestigious civilian honours in India. Individuals who have achieved remarkable achievements in various fields are honoured with this award. Sportspersons are also awarded this award.
Many great athletes in the sports world, many former and active Indian cricketers have received this award for their on-field excellence. Ravichandran Ashwin has also joined this list now. After the inclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin in January 2025, here is the list of all the 40 Indian cricketers who have received the Padma Shri award.
