Team India skipper Virat Kohli is in line to receive this year’s Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India’s highest honour in sports.
Meanwhile, the awards committee recommended his name to the Sports Ministry, according to reports. The Indian government presents this award to recognise achievements in the field of sport.
Virat Kohli could thus become the third Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar (1997) and MS Dhoni (2007) to receive the coveted award.
Kohli’s recommendation has come as recognition for his record-breaking feats as a batsman across formats and for helping take the Indian cricket team to No 1 in Tests and ODIs (they are currently at second place).
In April, the BCCI had recommended Kohli’s name for the Khel Ratna.
Previously, they did it in 2016 as well. The most outstanding sportsperson of this country gets the Khel Ratna over a period of four years.
Virat Kohli is at the pinnacle of the batsmen list in both Tests, and ODIs. He is the most successful batsman in Tests this year, with 879 runs from eight games and fourth-highest in ODIs with 749 from nine games.
Kohli, meanwhile, is currently on a break after a devastating tour of England. The selectors have decided to give him a rest from the Asia Cup to manage his workload ahead of the series against Australia. Rohit Sharma will India in place of the regular skipper.
The men in blues will start their campaign against Hong Kong while they face arch-rival Pakistan on September 19, the next day at Dubai.
The other Indian sportspersons recommended to the Ministry are weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and badminton player Kidambi Srikanth.