The board also pitched in Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Deepti Sharma's names for the Arjuna Awards.
Team India opener Rohit Sharma has been nominated for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2020 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday (May 20).
The board also pitched in Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Deepti Sharma's names for the Arjuna Awards.
Rohit, who is also the vice-captain of Team India, has been in terrific form with the bat for the Men In Blue for a while now.
The charismatic opener was also named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2019 for his record-breaking performances during the ICC World Cup 2019 in the UK, finishing the tournament with five ODI centuries.
Rohit is also the only batsman to score four tons in T20 cricket too.
The fastest Indian batsman to reach 2000 and 3000 runs in ODIs, Shikhar Dhawan, also hold the record for being the second-fastest Indian cricketer to bring up 4000 and 5000 runs in ODIs.
As far as Ishant is concerned, the veteran pacer holds the record for picking up most wickets by an Indian pacer outside Asia.
Star all-rounder Deepti Sharma is the owner of the feat of smashing the highest individual WODI score by an Indian player.
"We went through a lot of data and considered various parameters before shortlisting the nominees. Rohit Sharma has set new benchmarks as a batsman and achieved scores people thought were not possible in the shorter formats of the game. We feel he is worthy of getting the prestigious Khel Ratna award for his commitment, conduct, consistency and his leadership skills," BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said.
"Ishant Sharma is the most senior member of the Test squad and his contribution has been vital in Indian team’s long run as the No. 1 Test side. Fast bowlers are prone to injuries and Ishant has had a fair share of them but he has fought hard to be back on the park every time."
"Shikhar has been consistently scoring at the top and his performances in the ICC events have been significant. Deepti is a genuine all-rounder and her contribution to the team has been vital," he added.
Jay Shah, BCCI's Honorary Secretary, also expressed his thoughts on the nomination and said: "There is no bigger honour than representing your country and being nominated for national awards is a recognition of your hard work. In the last five years, Rohit Sharma has not only raised the bar with his individual performances but has also led the Indian team with distinction in Virat Kohli’s absence."
"Under his captaincy, India famously won the Asia Cup in UAE, the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka and registered many bilateral series wins at home. Rohit has been a perfect team-man and a mentor to youngsters."
"He deserves the highest sporting honour in the country. Ishant Sharma has been a warhorse while Shikhar Dhawan lifts the team’s morale with his fearless approach. Deepti Sharma has contributed a lot in Indian team’s consistent showing in the big-ticket events," he added.
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