
Sandy Verma
Tezzbuzz|16-03-2026
The BCCI Naman Awards 2026held this past Sunday, was intended to be a grand celebration of a golden era in Indian cricket. Following a historic season where India secured an unprecedented five ICC trophies, the stars descended upon the red carpet to honour the architects of these victories. However, what should have been a night of seamless tribute quickly turned into a social media firestorm. A significant technical oversight during the live broadcast has left fans of Rohit Sharma disillusioned, overshadowing the prestigious ceremony with a heated debate over captaincy credits.
While the evening honoured legends like Roger Binny, Rahul Dravidand Mithali Raj with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the atmosphere shifted when the on-screen graphics flashed during a segment featuring Shubman Gill. As Gill, the current Indian ODI and Test captain, appeared on screen, the broadcast banner labeled him as the “Winning Captain, Champions Trophy 2025.”
The error was immediately flagged by eagle-eyed supporters of Rohit. In reality, it was Rohit who led the Men in Blue to their Champions Trophy glory in 2025, culminating in a tactical masterclass against New Zealand in the final. While Gill was undoubtedly a cornerstone of that victory, entering the tournament as the world’s No. 1 ranked ODI batter and delivering a vital unbeaten century against Bangladesh, he was not the man at the helm during that specific tournament.
Rohit fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam the BCCI for what they perceived as ‘disrespectful erasure’ of the veteran opener’s leadership legacy. Though Gill has since taken over the captaincy reins and led India with distinction, including a dominant five-Test series win in Englandthe mix-up touched a nerve regarding how the contributions of transitional captains are documented.
Despite the digital drama, the night remained a professional milestone for Gill, who was named the Best International Cricketer (Men). By bagging the prestigious Polly Umrigar AwardGill solidified his status as the heir apparent to India’s batting throne. This marks his second “Cricketer of the Year” title, following his first win in 2023, reflecting a 2025 season where he amassed 754 runs in the Test series against England alone, averaging a staggering 75.40.
“Many greats and legends of Indian cricket have received this award before, so it is a huge honour,” Gill stated during his acceptance speech. He was quick to deflect individual praise toward the collective achievement of the squad, noting that winning five ICC trophies in a single cycle was a feat likely never to be repeated.
The ceremony also celebrated the phenomenal Smriti Mandhanawho secured the Best International Cricketer (Women) award for a record fifth time. Mandhana’s 2025 was nothing short of legendary, as she became the first woman in history to score over 1,000 ODI runs in a single calendar year. As the BCCI honored the five trophy-winning sides, the event served as a reminder of India’s current global dominance, even if a temporary graphic glitch briefly stole the headlines.




