The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award in India, honoring distinguished achievements in various fields, including sports. Numerous Indian cricketers will have been recognized for their remarkable achievements in the game of cricket over these years, with cricket being both the most awarded and most recognized sport in the award category due to cricket being a main part of Indian culture. As of April 2025, there are 40 cricketer recipients of the Padma Shri award, made up of 37 men and 3 women, which partly explains why there are more male cricketers on this list due to history. I hope to frame the discourse around the Padma Shri-awarded cricketers, with reasons for why these cricketers have achieved this prestigious recognition, and lastly their legacies as cricketers, with a table to list all the named recipients of the Padma Shri.

The Padma Shri has been awarded to cricketers since 1960. The first Indian cricketer to receive this award was Vijay Hazare. Cricketers are recognized not just for their competitive performances while advocating for and cultivating Indian cricket on and off the field or elevating the status of cricket in India and internationally. There is history and legacy in having led India to momentous victories and other career milestones. Cricketers have even broken world records or placed Indian cricket on the world stage in a developing cricketing nation. Interestingly, 24% of the awards in sports are awarded to cricketers, illustrating the significance of cricket in India.

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List of Cricketers Honored with Padma Shri

Below is a table of 22 explicitly named cricketers who have received the Padma Shri, based on available records up to 2025. While 40 cricketers have been honored, some names are not widely documented in public sources.

Cricketers honored with the Padma Shri embody excellence, perseverance, and national pride. Their achievements have shaped Indian cricket’s legacy, inspiring future generations to dream big and strive for greatness.

Indian cricket icon Ravichandran Ashwin has been conferred the highly regarded Padma Shri Award by the Indian government for his invaluable contributions to Indian cricket. One of the most successful spinners in the game's history, Ashwin has been a perpetual performer in all formats and a key figure behind many of India's record-breaking wins.

His home performances have been specially impressive, where he has consistently torn apart top batting orders with ease.In addition to his bowling, Ashwin is also a consistent lower-order batsman, with five Test hundreds to his credit — a distinction few bowlers enjoy. His all-round abilities have turned matches around for India numerous times, for which he has received several "Player of the Series" awards.

Ashwin's contribution to Indian cricket is more than just statistics. His survival skills, innovative mindset, and leadership have been an example to future generations.His own contribution to Indian success overseas, especially the landmark series victory over Australia in 2020-21, underlined his importance to the side.The Padma Shri award is well-deserved accolade for Ashwin's dedication, excellence, and contributions to Indian cricket. It is an occasion of pride for Ashwin, his admirers, and the whole sporting fraternity.

Watch the video here

Congratulations to @ashwinravi99 on being conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award by the Hon'ble President of India @rashtrapatibhvn, honouring his remarkable achievements and an illustrious career with #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/8HlYQx3Dsl

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 28, 2025

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Ravichandran Ashwin’s records and achievements

Ravichandran Ashwin was awarded the Padma Shri Award by the Government of India, in consideration of his achievements and great service to Indian cricket. His impressive career is littered with records and awards which amply qualify him for this prestigious award.Ashwin is one of the all-time great off-spinners in cricket history. India's second-most successful wicket-taker in Test cricket history, he had more than 490 Test wickets as of 2024. He achieved several of his key milestones ahead of any other Indian bowler:

• Fastest Indian to claim 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 Test wickets.
• Second quickest in the world to reach 400 Test wickets, having done so in only 77 Tests.
• First bowler in more than 100 years to dismiss more than 200 left-handers in Test cricket.

Ashwin boasts a mind-boggling record of 34 five-wicket hauls and 8 ten-wicket match hauls in Tests, which puts him among the greats of all time across the world. His bowling averages and strike rates are among the highest for bowlers who have appeared in over 100 Test innings.Apart from his bowling, Ashwin is also a very skilled batsman. He has 5 Test centuries and 13 Test fifties to his name, becoming only the third Indian cricketer after Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh to have the rare double of 400 wickets and 5 Test centuries — a genuine sign of an elite all-rounder.Ashwin has played a key role in many of India's record Test series victories, including:

• The 3-0 series triumph against Australia in 2013 when he picked 29 wickets.
• The 2016-17 home season when he picked 82 wickets and was instrumental in India's unbeaten campaign.
• The 2020–21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, when his bowling and a heroic batting performance in Sydney helped save India from possible defeat and ensured India's record series victory.

Globally, Ashwin has also been instrumental in:

• 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, in which he was a part of the winning team.
• 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, with key spells in India's victory.

He has been designated as ICC No. 1 Test Bowler and All-Rounder several times, especially from the years 2015-2017. He was also honored with the high-profile ICC Cricketer of the Year Award in 2016 and was only the third Indian to have won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.Other than statistics, Ashwin's capacity to thrive in diverse conditions, his strategic awareness of the game, and his leadership skills have left a lasting impact on Indian cricket. His off-the-field and on-the-field efforts have raised the standards of excellence and professionalism for the sport.With such remarkable records and his dedication to Indian cricket, the Padma Shri Award is well-deserved acclaim of Ravichandran Ashwin's colossus impact on the sport. His rags-to-riches story inspires up-and-coming cricketers throughout the country.

In every season the Indian Premier League (IPL) has produced some exciting new talents. But there are some players who are part of the ongoing IPL 2025 who also played in the inaugural IPL season back in 2007-08. Through this article we'll discover the names of the cricketers, many of whom can be considered the cornerstone of the cash-rich tournament. The last name in the 9-player list is probably beyond your knowledge. 

Check the list here:

MS Dhoni

Former team India skipper, now 43, still driving his IPL career, an integral part of Chennai Super Kings (16th season underway), won 5 IPL trophies as captain out of 18 seasons. Dhoni played a couple of seasons for Rising Pune Supergiants, now a defunct club. In 273 IPL matches, Dhoni has made a total of 5383 runs so far.

Rohit Sharma

Started his IPL journey with Deccan Chargers, played 3 seasons here, shifted to Mumbai Indians during IPL 2011, and from then on, he has been playing for the 5-time champion franchise. Along with MS Dhoni, Sharma was also crowned IPL champion for the 5th time as a captain. For 2 teams, he has played a total 265 IPL matches and scored 6856 runs in total.

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Virat Kohli

From the inauguration of the IPL season until now, Virat Kohli has never played for any other franchise except Royal Challengers Bengaluru, yet he grabbed the IPL silverware. Scored 8396 runs for RCB in 253 innings. Virat, so far has played 261 matches and scored 8396 runs. 

Ishant Sharma

The tall Indian pacer made his IPL debut with Kolkata Knight Riders and has played for 7 different IPL teams. With lots of ups and downs, Sharma is still delivering at 140 kmph. Now playing for Gujarat Titans. Ishant Sharma has bowled in 115 matches and took 95 wickets. 

Manish Pandey

An immensely talented batter, but never able to establish his talent for Team India due to inconsistency. Participated in IPL with 7 different teams. Currently playing for Kolkata Knight Riders. Over-all in 172 IPL matches, Pandey has 3869 runs under his belt.

Ajinkya Rahane

Doing the captaincy job for Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL 2025, he has played for 6 different teams and is a stalwart, easy on the eyes when he is in flow. So far, in 193 matches, he has gained 4,913 runs in total. Rahane with his classy batting, claimed 4913 runs in 193 matches. 

Ravichandran Ashwin

Retired from international cricket at 38, he is now playing for Chennai Super Kings. The spin bowling all-rounder has proved his value for 5 different teams. With the bat he scored 812 runs, and as a bowler Ashwin has taken 185 wickets so far with a 7.18 economy rate. 

Ravindra Jadeja

Another CSK player who has been playing IPL since the 2007-08 season, participating in the tournament with 4 different teams. With his batting part, he has added 3125 runs, and with the ball, Jadeja clinched 166 wickets. 

Swapnil Singh

A surprise entry in the list. The all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, now 34, is a member of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025. The fun fact is that Singh participated in only 5 IPL seasons, including the 2025 campaign. After 2016 and 2017, he was out of the tournament and made his comeback in 2023. 

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin recently stopped a panellist from talking about MS Dhoni during his YouTube video, amidst the controversy that occurred a few days ago. Ashwin informed his followers that he wouldn't speak about CSK and their matches in his YouTube videos after a controversy was raised in one of his earlier videos.

In the latest video, Ashwin, along with two other panellists, was discussing the last few games that had taken place in the IPL 2025. However, they deliberately avoided any conversation about CSK’s previous match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in line with the bowler’s vow.

In the middle of the discussion, one of the panellists spoke about leadership skills and how players like Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, and MS Dhoni have led their teams in the IPL. Ashwin promptly interrupted him mid-conversation and urged him not to say anything about CSK or any of its players.

Check Out the Viral video featuring Ravichandran Ashwin here :

It's really sad to see Ashwin like this.
pic.twitter.com/sEf9dJ0j7o

— Hari (@Harii33) April 18, 2025

Here's what happened?

The entire controversy erupted in the middle of the IPL when one of the panellists, the former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) analyst, Prasanna Agoram, questioned the CSK management’s decision to include Noor Ahmad in the team despite having Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin available. This led to a significant uproar, especially after reporters raised the issue during a press conference with CSK's head coach, Stephen Fleming.

"I have no idea. I didn't even know he had a channel, so I don't know that stuff. That's irrelevant," Fleming said.

Following this, Ashwin made an official announcement on his YouTube channel, stating that he would no longer engage in any discussion related to CSK or their matches in the future.

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Another veteran cricketer from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has shown age is just a number by taking a sharp caught and bowl. Ravichandran Ashwin caught and bowled Punjab Kings's (PBKS) all-rounder Glenn Maxwell with the help of reflexes.

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Ravichandran Ashwin, 38, retired from international cricket and rejoined the 5-time Indian Premier League franchise for the ongoing season. CSK, so far, has experienced a rock-bottom situation in the points table, losing in 3 games after playing 4. In IPL 2025, match 22, CSK stepped into the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, eyeing a much-needed victory.

On the other hand, PBKS, at the 5th spot on the points table, also lost their momentum in their previous encounter. The Shreyas Iyer-led side has started their IPL 2025 campaign with back-to-back wins before tasting defeat against Lucknow Super Giants. So, like Super Kings, PBKS also pulled out all their guns to secure a victory.Batting first, PBKS opener Priyansh Arya set the tone for Punjab Kings with a record-breaking quick 103-run innings. At the end of the innings, the team managed to pile a total of 219/6 on the scoreboard, where Glenn Maxwell scored only 1, thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin.

This was how Ashwin pulled out an spectacular effort to dismiss Maxwell 

In the last ball of the 8th over, the experienced spinner had shown Glenn Maxwell the path to the dressing room. Ball went straight to Ashwin after the Australian hit hard to a fuller-length delivery. Ashwin followed the trajectory of the ball, and then after some fumbles, he secured the wicket of the dangerous T20 batter. The crowd went crazy after witnessing this caliber of cricket live from the gallery. 

Some reflexes! 🔥💛

A sharp caught & bowled by #RavichandranAshwin, & #GlennMaxwell’s stay is cut short!

Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/tDvWovyN5c#IPLonJioStar 👉 #PBKSvCSK | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/afhnaCAOnD

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 8, 2025

In the same over, the right-handed bowler cleared Nehal Wadhera from the crease as well. In this match, Ashwin took a brace in his 4-over bowling quota in exchange of 48 run. Over-all, for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025, he has bagged 5 wickets in 5 matches. 

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has decided to no longer cover Chennai Super Kings (CSK) matches on his YouTube channel for the remainder of IPL 2025. This was done after much negative feedback on social media. The problem began when a guest made comments that some fans believed were too harsh on some CSK players.

In a recent video, cricket commentator Prasanna Agoram raised questions about CSK's move to play Noor Ahmad, the young Afghan spinner. He argued that experienced campaigners like Ravindra Jadeja or even Ashwin himself would have been the better options. Although Noor Ahmad has played extremely well until now, the remarks provoked a heated reaction online.

Ashwin’s Channel Responds

To avoid further issues, Ashwin’s YouTube team shared a message:

“Because of how people have reacted to our recent videos, we’ve decided not to preview or review CSK games for the rest of this season. The views shared by our guests are their own and do not reflect Ashwin’s personal opinions.”

🚨 RAVI ASHWIN'S LATTER ON HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL 🚨

- Ravi Ashwin's YouTube channel will not be covering or reviewing CSK's matches in this IPL 2025. pic.twitter.com/drLGzwEtwz

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) April 7, 2025

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To stay away from further controversy, Ashwin's crew released an official statement that they would not preview or review CSK matches anymore this season. They also clarified that what guests say on the channel may not be necessarily Ashwin's views.

CSK Coach Reacts and Why It Matters

When CSK coach Stephen Fleming was questioned on the matter, he replied that he didn't even know that Ashwin has a YouTube channel. His curt reply made it evident that CSK is not looking at the outside media hullabaloo and they are concentrated on their game instead.

This episode shows us how challenging it becomes when professional players become content creators. Even if they do not use any derogatory words themselves, something that is being said by a guest can still create trouble. Ashwin's decision to distance himself from CSK coverage shows maturity and respect for his former team.

In one of the most exciting matches of IPL 2025, CSK faced off against RR at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Adding spice to the encounter, veteran Ashwin made a comeback and delivered a remarkable off-side wide that produced an electrifying moment in the stadium.

Ashwin’s Deceptive Delivery Traps Rana

During RR’s innings, Ashwin bluffed an off-side wide, which lured Nitish Rana to try to send it to the roof. The flighted delivery deceived the batsman and turned with a vengeance, leaving Rana stranded.

R. Ashwin got his man Nitish Rana 81(36)

One of the worse match with ball for Ash 4-46-1#IPL2025 #csk #Dhoni pic.twitter.com/NmjPq6AKV3

— Arv (@Arv922137579481) March 30, 2025

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MS Dhoni’s Lightning Stumping

As always, Dhoni, with his marvelous glove work, got rid of the bails before Rana had the opportunity to recover. The legendary keeper showed once again why he is considered to be one of the best in the game.

This instance turned out to be a watershed moment for CSK, shifting the momentum as RR collapsed and could not recover from the setback. With Ashwin’s brilliance and Dhoni’s insane reflexes, CSK sustained their dominance over the match.

 They engaged in a friendly contest of chess onboarded upon the intellectual magnificence enclosed in both games.

Ashwin's Unique Gesture Towards Gukesh

Known for his strategic meddling in cricket, Ashwin greeted Gukesh with a Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey to honor his feats in the world of chess. This demonstration exemplified the mutual appreciation each celeb has for their opposing sports of mastery.

CHESS MASTER WITH SCIENTIST. 🔥

- D Gukesh meets Ravi Ashwin at the Chepauk. Ash presented the CSK jersey and also played Chess with Gukesh. ♟️ pic.twitter.com/cFAwlqn3UK

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 21, 2025

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The Clash of Strategies and Mindsets

Afterward, the two brans clad in jerseys of chess pieces played a mini game of chess, showing off Ashwin's chess skills. In the intersection of his athletics, he has constantly noted that chess sharpens his cognitive thought on the battlefield. Likewise, Gukesh, one of India’s youngsters chess masters, relished the maneuver of playing against an accomplished cricketer who had taken up the chess flag.

This encounter at the Chepauk was a meeting of blending sound mind with a sound body, exposing how champions from different hobbies appreciate each-others talent, hardwork and love for their profession.

Varun Chakravarthy is in a hail of praises for an exceptional spell against New Zealand in their last group game of the Champions Trophy. When others are hailing his performance how can another co-Tamilnadu player will stop? It's Ashwin the former Indian spinner who just can't hide his praises for him. He went on to say that Varun has strong adaptability in reading the batsman's mind. 

I am really happy that he has delivered for the team when required the most. It was crucial time for India when they were bundled with a score of 249/9 even New Zealand was considered as most balanced side and the chase would be easy for New Zealand. 

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He is the X factor for the team.

But between them came Varun Chakravarthy who dismantled the openers and continuesly took wickets in regular time then coming back into the game was difficult task for New Zealand and India won the match by 44 runs. In the same Ashwin too narrated a story related to IPL when he was appointed as Punjab Kings captain and that year Varun Chakravarthy was bought by Punjab team. 

He said he couldn't play a single play due to his shoulder injury which was unfortunate for him to have a guy who is most useful but can't be utilised due to injury. Seriously it was my bad luck or I was not fortunate enough. If would have been available at that season it would be really helpful for me and the team. But now it's all about the past which cannot be changed. 

Read More: Does Steve Smith Have Any Special Message For India Ahead Of Their Semi Final Clash

He is equally important as Bumrah. 

Ashwin went on to praise team captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir who decided to play Chakravarthy against New Zealand. I had a thought he would be playing that day and my assumption was correct. He bowled brilliantly that day on the flight in the air and the nostalgia of reading the better mind what he is trying to do. He has highlighted that he can be the X factor of the team. He has compared Varun and Bumrah same contradiction where batters can't read their bowling. 

To avoid controversy he has highlighted that he not comparing Bumrah and chakravarthy just depicting their presence of both how cautious the batters are, Just like in semi give the new ball to him to dismiss Travis Head he will toss off the ball while Travis shows his three stumps he tries to attempt a lofted shot and may lose his wicket. 

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Rohit Sharma's Selfless knocks for the team. He believes Sharma’s selfless approach is a sign of great leadership and shows his commitment to India's success. Ashwin also shared that he understands the struggles Sharma goes through when things don’t go his way. He said that he prays for Sharma to score a century in a series and hopes he gets the recognition he deserves in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Ravichandran Ashwin Praises Rohit Sharma’s Selfless Nature

This statement will give a sleepless night to under 18 fans 🤣

Selfless nation is back 🐐
pic.twitter.com/OYEPOZjhGK

— 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐮 (@Ro_45stan) February 13, 2025

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Speaking about the criticism Sharma faces, Ashwin said that while it can be frustrating, he is confident that the Indian captain will bounce back in the Champions Trophy.Sharma doesn't go for own achievements,he played selfless knocks for the team. Ashwin , calling him a “true OG and legend.” As India prepares for the Champions Trophy, Sharma’s captaincy and determination will be key for the Indian team. With the support of his teammates and fans, he will be looking ahed for the winning of ICC Champions Trophy.