Indian cricket team’s captain Virat Kohli was presented with the country’s highest sporting honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday.
During the award function, Virat was cheered by his wife Anushka Sharma. In the video shared by Doordarshan News on their official Twitter handle, Anushka can be seen cheering and clapping for the cricketer as he proudly walks to the President to receive his honour.
Here’s the video:
#NationalSportsAwards2018 : Indian cricket captain @imVkohli receives #RajivGandhiKhelRatnaAward , 2018 pic.twitter.com/94DuI18MwV
— DD News (@DDNewslive) September 25, 2018
Virat received the award along with diminutive weightlifting world champion Mirabai Chanu. It was announced by the Indian government last week that Virat would receive the award.
The 29-year-old is the first cricketer since 2007 to be bestowed with this award. Previously, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni has given this honour in 2007. Furthermore, he is only the third cricketer who is a Khel Ratna awardee with Sachin Tendulkar being the first to receive the glory in 1998.
Virat won the Arjuna Award in 2013 and Padma Shri last year. The Khel Ratna Award carries a purse prize of ₹7.5 lakhs.
