Ravichandran Ashwin has been an Indian stalwart on the cricket field, while PR Sreejesh has been a legend for Indian hockey. Both the sporting personalities received their Padma Awards from President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin was honoured with the Padma Shri Award by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, while former hockey player PR Sreejesh was presented with the Padma Bhushan Award on Monday, April 28.
President Murmu presented the Padma Awards to the previously announced recipients at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Ashwin and Sreejesh were among some other dignitaries to receive the civilian awards.
Sreejesh received the second-highest Padma honour. He has become just the second Indian hockey player after the great Major Dhyan Chand to be conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Meanwhile, Ashwin is among a plethora of Indian cricketers to be honoured with the Padma Shri, the third-highest Padma award.
The Indian Board also shared a video of Ashwin receiving the honour from the President. “Congratulations to Ravi Ashwin on being conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award by the Hon’ble President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan, honouring his remarkable achievements and an illustrious career with Team India,” BCCI wrote in a post to the video on social media.
Ashwin has been a legend for Indian cricket during his playing days. Ashwin is an ODI World Cup 2011 and Champions Trophy 2013 winner with the Indian team. The spin all-rounder has been one of the biggest match-winners for the Indian team during his playing days.
The star all-rounder is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in tests with 537 scalps to his name in 106 matches. Ashwin also has 3503 runs to his name and six centuries in the red-ball format. He has 156 ODI wickets and 72 T20I scalps too.
Meanwhile, Sreejesh is an Indian hockey legend too. He has played a crucial role in India winning back-to-back bronze medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. India had defeated Germany in the bronze medal playoff in the Tokyo Games, while they outclassed Spain in Paris in 2024.
