Watch: “Shut up” — Ritika’s playful reply as Rohit Sharma celebrates Padma Shri with cake during IND vs NZ 2026 series

Star Indian batter Rohit Sharma was left emotional after a special moment following his Padma Shri Award win. A video shared widely on social media shows fans surprising the cricketer with a cake, as his wife Ritika Sajdeh stood beside him.

During the celebration, Ritika became emotional, and Rohit gently pointed it out with a smile, saying, “My wife is crying.” The moment touched many fans online and quickly went viral.

Rohit received the Padma Shri Award on January 26, along with Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur. One of India’s most successful captains, Rohit led Team India to T20 World Cup glory in 2024, becoming only the second Indian skipper after MS Dhoni to achieve the feat. He also captained the side to a Champions Trophy win earlier last year.

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Rohit Sharma’s journey after World Cup success

The Nagpur-born cricketer came close to winning the 2023 ODI World Cup, but India lost the final to Australia. After winning the T20 World Cup in 2024, Rohit Sharma decided to step away from the shortest format. He retired from T20 Internationals after the final and later announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025.

Rohit named brand ambassador for T20 World Cup 2026

Earlier, Rohit Sharma was announced as the brand ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking about the role, he said he was happy to see the tournament return to India and felt proud to be associated with it again in a new role. He wished all the players well and hoped they would enjoy playing in India and take back good memories.

With India set to co-host the 20-team tournament, the team begins as one of the strong favourites to lift the trophy for the third time. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India has been in excellent form. The team recently won a series against New Zealand and is yet to lose a T20I series under his captaincy.

India will start their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.