Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has nominated India men's and women's team openers Shikhar Dhawan and Smriti Mandhana for the prestigious Arjuna award, said Amitabh Chaudhury.

"We have sent the communication to the Government of India," Chaudhury told reporters. 

Dhawan is an integral part of Indian cricket team. He has been in fine form recently. Mandhana had helped India reach the final of the ICC Women's World Cup in England last year. 

The Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in sports. Started in 1961, the award carries a cash prize of ₹ 500,000, a bronze statue of Arjuna and a scroll.

The first cricketer to receive the award was Saleem Durani in 1961. Sachin Tendulkar had received the award in 1994. Harmanpreet Kaur from Indian women's cricket team got the award in 2017.