Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur was on Monday (May 25) bestowed with the Padma Shri -- India's fourth-highest civilian honor -- as she became the only other cricketer besides Rohit Sharma to receive the honour this year.

This accolade recognised Harmanpreet’s outstanding contribution to Indian cricket after she became only the second Indian captain to win an ODI World Cup on home soil last November.

President Droupadi Murmu presented 66 of the approved 131 civilian honours during the first phase of the 2026 Civil Investiture Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It included two Padma Vibhushan, six Padma Bhushan, and 58 Padma Shri medals.

Harmanpreet and Rohit were both conferred the Padma Shri for their historic leadership milestones. While Harmanpreet received her medal in person, Rohit missed the event due to scheduling conflicts and will receive it in the next phase.

Notable sporting figures like tennis legend Vijay Amritraj (Padma Bhushan), hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia (Padma Shri), and legendary wrestling mentor Vladimir Mestvirishvili (Padma Shri) were also recognized.

Harmanpreet Kaur remained in India to attend the Padma Awards ceremony, most of her India teammates—including Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues—have already arrived in England to prepare for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, which runs from June 12 to July 5.

The Women in Blue will kick-off their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.