Why did Rohit Sharma miss the Padma Shri awards ceremony in New Delhi?

Former Indian cricket team captain and star batsman Rohit Sharma’s absence from the Padma Shri ceremony in New Delhi on May 25 surprised many fans, especially after the star cricketer was officially named among the recipients of India’s fourth highest civilian honor earlier this year. However, Rohit was also present at the award itself and is expected to receive the prestigious award during a later ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Rohit, along with India Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur, was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in recognition of his contributions to Indian cricket, leadership achievements and international achievements with the national team.

While Harmanpreet decided to stay back from preparations for India’s Women’s World ODI in England to attend the ceremony in person, Rohit was unable to attend the first investiture event due to scheduling reasons.

The Padma awards are traditionally distributed in several ceremonies held over several weeks at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, with the awardees divided into separate batches. Rohit is now expected to officially collect the medal during a secondary ceremony later this year.

WHY ROHIT SHARMA MISSED THE PADMA SHRI CEREMONY

Fans were expecting Rohit Sharma to attend the ceremony after his name featured prominently among the Padma Shri awardees announced on Republic Day earlier this year.

However, the Indian captain was not part of the first batch of awardees who were felicitated by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on May 25.

The absence quickly became a topic of discussion online, with many fans wondering why Rohit was not seen alongside the other recipients at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

However, the reason is procedural rather than controversial.

The Padma award ceremony is usually done in phases and several awardees will receive their honors during subsequent ceremonies depending on their schedules and government allocations.

Rohit had earlier expressed his gratitude after being named for the honor in January, uploading a video in which he thanked the Indian government and fans for recognizing his cricketing journey.

WHEN WILL ROHIT GET THE PADMA SHRI?

Rohit is now expected to receive his Padma Shri medal during a later award ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, though the official date is yet to be announced publicly.

Awardees who cannot attend the first ceremony are normally accommodated during secondary ceremonies conducted by the government.

The Indian skipper was last seen in action for Mumbai Indians during IPL 2026 where injuries affected a large part of his campaign. Rohit has played only nine matches this season, scoring 283 runs at a strike rate of 157.22 and an average of 35.38.

He is expected to make his next comeback in India colors during the ODI series against Afghanistan starting on June 14.

Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur personally attended the ceremony before later joining the Indian women’s ODI World Cup team in England and Wales.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

25 May 2026 18:32 IST

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