In a fitting tribute to her trailblazing leadership, 36-year-old Indian women’s cricket skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has been named for the prestigious Padma Shri award in the field of Sports.
Announced on the eve of the 77th Republic Day, this honour recognises her pivotal role in scripting history by leading India to its maiden ICC senior-level title, the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. Alongside her, Rohit Sharma, para high jumper Praveen Kumar, and hockey star Savita Punia feature among the 131 Padma awardees for 2026, with the President approving five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards across diverse fields.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s journey to this civilian accolade mirrors her aggressive batting style, fearless, impactful, and transformative. Under her captaincy and head coach Amol Muzumdar’s guidance, India clinched the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, hosted across India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2, 2025.
The crowning moment unfolded at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, where India defeated South Africa, led by Laura Wolvaardt, by 52 runs in the final. Harmanpreet became the first Indian captain to lift an ICC ODI World Cup, a feat that etched her name in golden letters.
On the field, Harmanpreet led by example, finishing as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer with 260 runs in 9 matches across 8 innings at an average of 32.50 and a strike rate of 89.04, including two half-centuries. Her semi-final masterclass against Australia, an unbeaten 89 off 88 balls (10 fours, 2 sixes) in a record chase of 339. Teammate Jemimah Rodrigues complemented her with a maiden ODI World Cup ton (127* off 134, 14 fours), sealing a 5-wicket win with 9 balls spare.
This Padma Shri places Harmanpreet alongside Rohit Sharma, whose men’s teams won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados and the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. At 36, she embodies resilience in a sport where she has smashed barriers, much like her iconic sixes.
Even now, Harmanpreet thrives as captain of the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing 4th Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 (January 9 to February 5). She’s the side’s top scorer and second overall with 240 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 143.71 and average of 60, boasting two half-centuries. Despite Mumbai’s 4th-place standing (4 points from 6 games: 2 wins, 4 losses), they’re pushing for a top 3 playoffs spot.
The Padma Shri, India’s highest civilian honours for distinguished service, will be conferred by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan in March-April. For Harmanpreet, it’s not just personal glory; it’s validation for women’s cricket’s rise.
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