Harmanpreet Kaur Receives Padma Shri, Blends Grace With Glory; Video Goes Viral

Harmanpreet Kaur receives Padma Shri from Droupadi Murmu, honoured for leading India to a historic home World Cup victory.

Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur was on Monday presented with the Padma Shri, as she became the only other cricketer besides Rohit Sharma to receive the award this year.

The honour recognised Harmanpreet’s outstanding contribution to Indian cricket after the Women in Blue’s World Cup win on home soil last November.

Droupadi Murmu presented two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan and 58 Padma Shri honours during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A total of 131 Padma Awards were approved for 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards, with the remaining recipients all set to be honoured during the second phase.

Harmanpreet attended the ceremony in a cream-coloured ethnic outfit as she received the prestigious honour. Earlier in January, she had been named a Padma Shri awardee, adding another milestone to her decorated career.

Among the other Indian recipients, Rohit was also conferred the Padma Shri, but wasn’t present at the venue. Watch the video here:

Vladimir Mestvirishvili, mentor to India’s Olympic medal-winning wrestlers, was awarded a posthumous Padma Shri. 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze medallist hockey player Savita Punia was also among the awardees.

While Harmanpreet remains in India for the Padma Awards ceremony, multiple of her teammates, including Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, have already arrived in Chelmsford to prepare for the Women’s T20 World Cup, which starts on June 12.

India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

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