India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur was on Monday conferred the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu in recognition of her contribution to Indian cricket and leadership in guiding the Women in Blue to major international success, including a World Cup triumph on home soil.
She was among a select group of sportspersons honoured this year, alongside India men’s captain Rohit Sharma, making them the only two cricketers in the 2026 Padma Shri list.
The first Civil Investiture Ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Murmu conferred Padma awards across categories — Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. A total of 131 Padma Awards were approved for 2026, with remaining awardees to be honoured in a subsequent phase.
Harmanpreet attended the ceremony in a cream-coloured traditional outfit as she received the civilian honour.
The award caps a decorated international career in which she led India through multiple ICC tournaments and later guided the team to a landmark ODI World Cup title in 2025, where India defeated South Africa in the final to win their maiden crown. The victory marked a defining moment in her fifth World Cup appearance after years of near misses.
Earlier, when the honours list was announced, Harmanpreet expressed her gratitude in a video shared by her Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise Mumbai Indians, calling it a special moment for her family.
“My dad got a call from the President’s Office. This year I’m going to get the Padma Shri Award. It is a very big moment for me, and I am happy that my parents got to know before me,” she said in the video.
She also congratulated Rohit Sharma on his inclusion in the list. “Many, many congratulations to him as well. We have seen how hard he has been working. It is a great moment for him,” she added.
–IANS
