India’s limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma has been nominated for the prestigious ‘Khel Ratna’, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday.
Rohit’s opening partner Shikhar Dhawan has been once again nominated for the Arjuna award along with team’s senior-most fast bowler Ishant Sharma.
The 34-year-old Dhawan, earlier, missed out on winning the Arjuna award in 2018.
In the women’s category, the BCCI nominated all-rounder Deepti Sharma for the Arjuna award. Deepti has been a consistent performer for India in both ODIs and T20Is in the past three years.
Speaking about the nominations, the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said, “We went through a lot of data and considered various parameters before shortlisting the nominees. Rohit Sharma has set new benchmarks as a batsman and achieved scores people thought were not possible in the shorter formats of the game. We feel he is worthy of getting the prestigious Khel Ratna award for his commitment, conduct, consistency and his leadership skills.
“Ishant Sharma is the most senior member of the Test squad, and his contribution has been vital in Indian team’s long run as the No. 1 Test side. Fast bowlers are prone to injuries, and Ishant has had a fair share of them, but he has fought hard to be back on the park every time. Shikhar has been consistently scoring at the top, and his performances in the ICC events have been significant. Deepti is a genuine all-rounder, and her contribution to the team has been vital, Ganguly added.
