Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana (PTI) Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were crowned the best international cricketers (men and women) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 on Sunday, celebrating their outstanding performances during the 2024-25 season. Gill won the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award, his second cricket title of the year after winning the first in 2023, while Mandhana earned the award for the fifth time.The ceremony also honored former greats Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj with the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, BCCI’s highest award, in recognition of their remarkable contribution to Indian cricket.Gill enjoyed a remarkable 2025, cementing his status as a pillar of the Indian batting line-up in the longer formats. He led the way during India’s five-Test series in England, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four sets and a career-best 269. He also played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph last year, entering the tournament as the world’s number one ranked ODI batsman. Gill started with an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh and ended the contest with 188 runs.Meanwhile, Mandhana finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs – the most by any woman in a single year – becoming the first woman in ODI history to cross 1,000 runs in a calendar year. She was instrumental in India’s first Women’s World Cup victory, scoring 434 runs in nine matches to finish as India’s top run-scorer and second highest overall. Mandhana had earlier smashed a 50-ball hundred against Australia in New Delhi, scoring the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batsman and surpassing Virat Kohli’s record of 52 balls.
