“Cricket is not just played on the field — it is honoured off it.” — BCCI Naman Awards tradition
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held its annual Naman Awards 2026 for the 2024–25 season, recognising outstanding performances across international, domestic, women’s, junior, and officiating categories. Two headline winners dominated attention: Shubman Gill took the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men), while Smriti Mandhana claimed the women’s equivalent for a record fifth time — the most by any player in the award’s history.
🏆 BCCI Naman Awards 2026: The Winners
Shubman Gill received the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men) for the 2024–25 season. Gill had a landmark year cementing his position as India’s most consistent Test and ODI batter across formats, following Virat Kohli’s gradual transition to a reduced schedule. His aggregate across all three formats in 2024–25 placed him among the top three batters globally by runs scored.
Smriti Mandhana received the award for Best International Cricketer (Women) for a record fifth time in her career. Mandhana’s consistency across formats, her role in India’s ICC Women’s Championship campaigns, and her 2024–25 aggregate placed her unambiguously as India’s best women’s cricketer for the season.
| Award | Winner (2026) | Named After |
|---|---|---|
| Best International Cricketer (Men) | Shubman Gill | Polly Umrigar Award |
| Best International Cricketer (Women) | Smriti Mandhana (5th time) | — |
| Lifetime Achievement | Col. CK Nayudu Award | India’s first Test captain |
| Best Domestic Performer | Madhavrao Scindia Award | Former Union Minister |
Exam-ready fact: The Polly Umrigar Award recognises the Best International Cricketer in the men’s category — not domestic, not women’s. Shubman Gill is the 2024–25 winner.
👤 Who Was Polly Umrigar?
Cottari Subanna “Polly” Umrigar (1926–2006) was one of Indian cricket’s earliest batting giants. He captained India in 8 Test matches and was one of the first Indian batters to score consistently against pace bowling on foreign surfaces — a significant achievement in an era when Indian batsmen were considered vulnerable outside the subcontinent.
Umrigar played 59 Tests for India, scored 3,631 runs, and took 153 wickets as an off-spinner — making him one of India’s first genuine all-rounders. The BCCI named its premier men’s award after him in recognition of his contribution to establishing India’s batting culture on the world stage.
Don’t confuse: The Polly Umrigar Award is for International cricket performance (men) — NOT domestic performance. The Madhavrao Scindia Award covers domestic/Ranji Trophy excellence. Mixing these two is a common MCQ trap.
📜 Col. CK Nayudu Award: India’s First Test Captain
The Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious lifetime recognition in Indian cricket. It is named after Colonel Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu — India’s first-ever Test captain, who led the team in India’s inaugural Test match against England at Lord’s in 1932.
CK Nayudu was not just a historical figurehead — he was a powerful hitter in an era when such batting was rare in India, and he played a founding role in establishing the BCCI’s early structure. The lifetime achievement award named after him represents the highest honour the BCCI can bestow on a cricketer for services to the game over an entire career.
CK Nayudu = India’s first Test captain — NOT merely India’s first Test cricketer. Every player in that 1932 squad was India’s “first Test cricketer.” What makes Nayudu unique is that he captained the team. This distinction is frequently tested in MCQs.
🏅 Smriti Mandhana’s Record Fifth Award
Smriti Mandhana’s fifth win of the Best International Cricketer (Women) award makes her the most decorated recipient in this category in the award’s history. No other women’s cricketer has won it as many times.
Mandhana has been a cornerstone of India’s women’s cricket since her debut, known for her elegant left-handed strokeplay and consistency at the top of the order. In 2024–25, her contributions across ODIs and T20Is in India’s ICC Women’s Championship campaigns reinforced her status as India’s premier women’s batter.
Think of the BCCI Naman Awards as Indian cricket’s version of the annual “Player of the Year” ceremony — except it covers every level: international men, international women, domestic players, junior cricketers, and umpires. The Polly Umrigar Award is the top prize for men’s international performance.
✨ Full BCCI Naman Award Structure
The BCCI Naman Awards are the board’s primary annual recognition mechanism for cricket excellence in India. Beyond the headline winners, the award structure covers the full breadth of Indian cricket:
- Polly Umrigar Award: Best International Cricketer (Men) — named after the former India Test captain and batter (1926–2006)
- Best International Cricketer (Women): Equivalent recognition for women’s international performers
- Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award: Named after India’s first Test captain; the most prestigious career-recognition award in Indian cricket
- Madhavrao Scindia Award: Best performer in domestic/Ranji Trophy cricket; named after former Union Minister Madhavrao Scindia, who played a central role in developing Indian cricket administration
- Junior and officiating categories also recognised annually
Why does the BCCI name its awards after historical figures rather than running statistical metrics alone? The naming choices — Umrigar, CK Nayudu, Scindia — reveal how cricket governance in India has always blended sporting merit with institutional and political history. What does this tell us about cricket’s place in Indian public life?
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Shubman Gill won the Polly Umrigar Award (Best International Cricketer — Men) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 for the 2024–25 season.
Smriti Mandhana has won the Best International Cricketer (Women) award a record five times — the most by any player in the award’s history.
CK Nayudu captained India in its inaugural Test match vs England at Lord’s in 1932 — making him India’s first Test captain. The Col. CK Nayudu Award is the BCCI’s lifetime achievement recognition.
The Madhavrao Scindia Award is given for the best performance in domestic/Ranji Trophy cricket. The Polly Umrigar Award covers international men’s cricket. Don’t confuse the two.
Polly Umrigar (1926–2006) captained India in 8 Test matches. He played 59 Tests in total and was one of India’s first great batters on foreign surfaces.
