Rohit Sharma conferred the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu for his services to Indian cricket

Rohit Sharma has added another prestigious honour to his decorated career, being conferred with the Padma Shri — one of India's highest civilian awards — by President Droupadi Murmu. The former India captain received the recognition for his immense and outstanding contribution to Indian cricket at a ceremony in New Delhi.

Rohit was present at Rashtrapati Bhavan to collect the award during the second Civil Investiture Ceremony, held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, where the President conferred a total of 65 Padma Awards, including two Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan and 56 Padma Shri honours.

In illustrious company

By receiving the Padma Shri, Rohit joined a celebrated list of Indian cricketing greats to have been honoured with the award, among them Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. He was also among prominent names from other fields recognised on the day.

The timing carried a poignant note, with reports highlighting that the honour came almost 19 years on from his international debut — a fitting milestone in a remarkable journey.

A captain who delivered the biggest titles

The award recognised a career defined by both individual brilliance and landmark leadership. Under Rohit's captaincy, India ended a long wait for a global title by winning the ICC T20 World Cup in Barbados in 2024, before following it up with Champions Trophy glory in Dubai the next year.

He took over as India's full-time captain in early 2022 and went on to become one of the country's most accomplished leaders, guiding the side through some of its most memorable recent campaigns across formats.

One of the modern greats with the bat

Rohit's standing as one of the finest batters of his generation underpinned the honour. Across all formats he has amassed more than 20,000 international runs, with 50 centuries to his name, including a world-record ODI score of 264 and multiple double-hundreds in the 50-over format.

In white-ball cricket especially, his record is among the best the game has seen, while his Test career featured 12 centuries across 67 matches. His blend of elegance and power at the top of the order made him one of the most watchable players of his era.

A new chapter in ODI cricket

Rohit ended his T20 international career on the perfect note, retiring from the format after India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph — having also been part of the squad that won the inaugural edition back in 2007. He later stepped away from Test cricket as well.

That leaves him focused solely on ODI cricket for India going forward, a format in which he remains one of the world's premier batters and a key figure for the side.

The final word

The Padma Shri stands as a fitting tribute to a player who has given Indian cricket some of its most cherished modern memories — from record-breaking innings to history-making titles. For Rohit Sharma, it is recognition richly earned, and another proud moment in a career that continues to inspire.