In a grand celebration of the past and future of Indian cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will host the annual Naman Awards on 15 March 2026. The ceremony to be held in New Delhi will see former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid receiving the prestigious Col. CK Nayudu for lifetime contribution. Shubman Gill should be named the Cricketer of the Year for the year 2025.
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Rahul Dravid’s transition from legendary batsman to transformative coach has been well documented. Known as “The Wall” during his playing days, Dravid amassed over 13,000 Test runs and 10,000 ODI runs, anchoring the Indian middle order for nearly sixteen years. His technical prowess and bravery were crucial to India’s historic overseas victories in 2000.
However, his contribution to Indian cricket went far beyond his retirement in 2012. Dravid took over the reins of India U-19 and India A, creating a robust talent pool. His coaching tenure culminated in 2024 when he led the senior team to the ICC T20 World Cup title, ending an 11-year ICC trophy drought. BCCI’s decision to confer the Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges this twin legacy of individual excellence and selfless mentorship.
Dravid will become the first man since Sachin Tendulkar in 2025 to receive the prestigious award, joining an elite list of cricketers including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Kris Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra.
In the spotlight is Shubman Gill, who is in line to win the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (2025). The 26-year-old had a breakthrough year, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the national side across formats. After taking over as Test and ODI captain, Gill finished the 2025 season as the world’s most prolific batsman, amassing 1,764 runs at an average of 49. His leadership led India to a series sweep against the West Indies and a crucial draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England.
The Naman Awards 2026 will also recognize the five Indian teams that have won ICC trophies in the past year, marking one of the most successful periods in the country’s cricketing history.
PREVIOUS WINNERS: Col. Award CK Nayudu for lifetime achievement
The award is the highest honor given by the BCCI to former players for their lifetime contribution to the sport.
- 1994: Lala Amarnath (Inaugural Winner)
- 1995: Syed Mushtaq Ali
- 2001: Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
- 2004: BS Bedi, B. Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna and S. Venkataraghavan
- 2008: Gundappa Viswanath
- 2011: Ajit Wadekar
- 2012: Sunil Gavaskar
- 2013: Kapil Dev
- 2015: Syed Kirmani
- 2019: Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra
- 2023: Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri
- 2024: Sachin Tendulkar
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
12 March 2026 14:53 IST
