Smriti Mandhana and Shubman Gill were honoured with the individual awards in New Delhi. On March 15, the BCCI announced the winners of the Naman Awards, with Gill getting the Polly Umrigar Award for being the Best International Cricketer in Men’s Cricket, while Mandhana was named the Best International Cricketer in the Women’s Category.

Gill won the top honour for the second time, with the first one coming in 2023. He was sensational back then, scoring 1,584 runs in 29 one-day internationals at an average of 63.36 and a strike rate of 105.45, including five hundreds.

“I want to thank the BCCI for this award. Many greats have received it before, and it is an honour for me to be here. What Indian cricket achieved last year was magnificent. Winning five ICC trophies was special, and I don’t think it has happened before,” Gill said.

“I also want to thank my teammates because it wouldn’t have been possible without them. I want to thank my parents and family members for helping me,” he added.

Mandhana won the award for the fifth time. “I can’t talk about individuals success without mentioning the team. It has been a memorable year for us. I want to thank the BCCI for supporting women’s cricket. I hope we continue to reach new heights,” Mandhana said.

Gill was at his best in Test cricket, amassing 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, laced with four hundreds. He also made important contributions to India’s success in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

On the other hand, Mandhana has been India’s standout performer since 2025, accumulating match-winning knocks across formats.

She posted 1703 runs in international cricket in 2025, including 1,362 in ODIs. She was the first batter to manage 1,000 runs in a calendar year.

In the 2025 Women’s World Cup, she scored 434 runs in nine matches at an average of 54.25. In December last year, she became the first Indian and the second player overall to go past the 4,000-run mark in Women’s T20Is.

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