Mithali Raj overlooked for Khel Ratna, Harmanpreet and Pujara nominated for Arjuna Awards

India’s women’s team captain Mithali Raj has been ignored for Khel Ratna awards, at a time when the women’s team should be felicitated with accolades for their successful campaign in England in the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup. But Punjabi Powerhouse Harmanpreet Kaur and India’s talismanic number Three Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujaraa have been recommended for the Arjuna Awards.

Mithali Raj, who toppled all records in the World Cup, by bringing up the 6000-run mark and becoming the highest run scorer in ODI’s in women’s cricket. If one name which comes to mind with which she should be felicitated with is the Rajiv Gandhi Khel award. BCCI did not recommend her name. The only way now for her to receive the accolade is only if BCCI realises its mistake and resends their recommendation with a thorough intervention of the Sports Minister Vijay Goel.

Kaur and Pujara nominated for Arjuna Awards

BCCI, however, did recommend the names of Harmanpreet Kaur and Cheteshwar Pujara for the Arjuna Award. Harmanpreet Kaur single-handedly knocked out the defending champions and the top contender to lift the World Cup out of the contention in the semi-finals of the tournament with her unbeaten knock of 171*. It was recently revealed that the Punjab player suffered a finger injury and played the entirety of the tournament with the painful injury.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who is currently amassing runs in Sri Lanka, had a phenomenal home season of Test Cricket and was the leading run scorer for India in the season. He piled on as many as 1316 runs at an average of 62.66. He slammed as many as four centuries and eight-half centuries with the highest score of 202* against Australia at Ranchi. Both Kaur and Pujara are deserving of the accolades for their outstanding contribution to Indian Cricket off late.