Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, was conferred with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, by President Droupadi Murmu at the Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The honour recognises Kaur’s outstanding contribution to Indian sport, especially her inspiring leadership during India’s maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph.
The Padma Shri comes after a defining year for Indian women’s cricket. Led by Harmanpreet and coached by Amol Muzumdar, India won their first senior ICC title by defeating South Africa, captained by Laura Wolvaardt, by 52 runs in the final of the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. The tournament was played across India and Sri Lanka from 30 September to 2 November 2025.
That victory made Harmanpreet the first Indian captain to lift a Women’s World Cup. She also became only the second Indian skipper after MS Dhoni to win an ODI World Cup on home soil.
Harmanpreet’s captaincy was supported by several strong individual performances throughout the tournament. She finished as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the World Cup, making 260 runs from 8 innings at an average of 32.50 and a strike rate of 89.04. Her campaign included two half-centuries across nine matches.
Harmanpreet’s overall career record explains why the award has been viewed as overdue. In 164 ODIs, she has scored 4,541 runs at an average of 37.22, including seven centuries and 24 half-centuries. In T20Is, she has made 3,991 runs from 195 matches, with one century and 16 fifties. She has also played seven Tests, scoring 230 runs at an average of 23.00, including one half-century.
Beyond the numbers, her aggressive batting, tactical understanding as captain, and ability to deliver in major moments have played a central role in India’s recent progress in women’s cricket.
Kaur quickly turns her attention back to white-ball cricket and India tour of England with a three-match T20I series from 28 May to 2 June 2026. That will be followed by the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July 2026.
India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on 14 June 2026 at 7 PM IST. After the tournament, India will remain in England for a one-off Test at Lord’s from 10–13 July 2026.
Padma Awards 2026
In 2026, nine Indian sportspersons received Padma awards. Eight were awarded the Padma Shri, while tennis icon Vijay Amritraj received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.
The eight athletes honoured with the Padma Shri included World Cup-winning India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur and former India captain Rohit Sharma.
Before Sharma and Kaur, 15 cricketers had previously received the Padma Shri, including Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Jhulan Goswami, and Mithali Raj.
Full List Of Sportspersons Honoured With Padma Awards 2026
| Player | Sport | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Vijay Amritraj | Tennis | Padma Bushan |
| Rohit Sharma | Cricket | Padma Shri |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | Cricket | Padma Shri |
| Baldev Singh | Field Hockey | Padma Shri |
| Bhagwandas Raikwar | Martial Arts | Padma Shri |
| K Pajanivel | Martial Arts | Padma Shri |
| Praveen Kumar | Athletics | Padma Shri |
| Savita Punia | Field Hockey | Padma Shri |
| Vladimir Mestvirishvili (Posthumous) | Wrestling | Padma Shri |
Harmanpreet’s Padma Shri is not only a personal milestone. It also recognises a turning point for women’s cricket in India. Winning the World Cup at home confirmed India’s arrival at the senior global level and reflected decades of growth in the women’s game. The involvement of former captains and bowlers in the trophy presentation also showed how the victory honoured both past struggles and present success.
