The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is gearing up for a special celebration of cricket on March 15, 2026. The annual Naman Awards will be held in New Delhi, where former captain and coach Rahul Dravid will receive the esteemed Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, rising star Shubman Gill is set to be honored as the Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2025.
Rahul Dravid, fondly known as “The Wall,” had an incredible career as a batsman, scoring over 13,000 runs in Tests and 10,000 in ODIs. He played a crucial role in India’s success overseas during the 2000s. After retiring in 2012, Dravid transitioned into coaching, leading the Under-19 and India A teams and helping to nurture new talent. His coaching reached new heights in 2024 when he led the senior team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy. His Lifetime Achievement Award reflects his outstanding individual performance and his dedication to mentoring others.
With this award, Dravid will be the first recipient since Sachin Tendulkar in 2025 to join the prestigious list of honorees that includes legends like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, and Anjum Chopra.
Shubman Gill is also making headlines, being recognized with the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer in 2025. At just 26, he has become a central figure in the Indian team. As captain for Tests and ODIs, he scored 1,764 runs at an average of 49 during the season, leading India to victories against the West Indies and a significant draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England.
The Naman Awards 2026 will also celebrate the achievements of five Indian teams that won ICC trophies over the past year, marking a remarkable chapter in the country’s cricket history.
Previous Winners of the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award
This prestigious award honors former players for their lifelong contributions to cricket.
- 1994: Lala Amarnath (First winner)
- 1995: Syed Mushtaq Ali
- 2001: Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
- 2004: B.S. Bedi, B. Chandrasekhar, E.A.S. Prasanna, and S. Venkataraghavan
- 2008: Gundappa Viswanath
- 2011: Ajit Wadekar
- 2012: Sunil Gavaskar
- 2013: Kapil Dev
- 2015: Syed Kirmani
- 2019: Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra
- 2023: Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri
- 2024: Sachin Tendulkar
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