Other than Rohit, table tennis star Manika Batra, India hockey women's skipper Rani Rampal, Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat and Paralympic gold medalist Mariappan Thangavelu will also be crowned with India's highest sporting honour.
Team India cricketer Rohit Sharma on Saturday (August 22) said that receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award this year is a great privilege for him. Rohit Sharma became the fourth Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni to get the Khel Ratna award on the back of his magnificent performance in the last one year. Rohit Sharma smashed 648 runs in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup with five centuries and he was destructive at the top of the order in ODIs. In 2019, he smashed 1490 runs at an average of 57 with seven tons and he is also the leading six-hitter for India in ODIs and in the world in T20Is.
Reacting to this news, India's limited-over vice-captain took to Twitter and shared a video speaking about how he feels. "It has been a wonderful ride, to receive such a sporting honour in India is a great privilege and I am happy about it, I owe this to all my fans, without your support it would not have been possible, I promise to bring more laurels for the country," Sharma said in a video posted on his official Twitter handle.
Khel Ratna, Arjuna awards out
Other than Rohit, table tennis star Manika Batra, India hockey women's skipper Rani Rampal, Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat and Paralympic gold medalist Mariappan Thangavelu will also be crowned with India's highest sporting honour.
While Rohit has been recognized for his accomplishments with the bat, Vinesh has been in the eye for her gold medals in the 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games. She had even won bronze in the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships. As for Thangavelu got the recognition for his gold medal in the 2016 Rio Paralympics in the T42 high jump category.
The committee which includes Virender Sehwag and former hockey captain Sardar Singh met at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters in New Delhi. This is the second time since 2016 that four athletes have been finalised for the award. In 2016, shuttler P V Sindhu, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, shooter Jitu Rai, and wrestler Sakshi Malik were given the top honours.
RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD: Rohit Sharma, Mariyappan T, Manika Batra, Vinesh Phogat and Rani Rampal.
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