Former India captain Rohit Sharma celebrated the significance of June 23 in his life a few hours after being conferred with the Padma Shri, one of the country's highest civilian honours, during the Padma Awards ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.
Rohit, considered one of the greatest while-ball cricketers in the history of the game with three double-hundreds in ODIs and two World Cup titles in T20 format, was alluding to the fact that he got the highest civilian award of his life on the day on which he earned his first India cap.
"23rd June bringing all kinds of magic," said Rohit in a post on X. "19 years ago, it began with an India cap. "Today, another proud chapter is added to the story," said Rohit in his post. The honour marks another significant achievement in a career that has spanned nearly two decades at the highest level.
Since making his international debut in 2007, Rohit has established himself as one of India's most successful batters and captains, producing memorable performances across all formats of the game. The Indian cricket team posted the video of Rohit receiving the award and wrote, "A highly prestigious honour for a great of the game.
President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmuji @presidentofindia confers former #TeamIndia captain Rohit Sharma @rohitsharma45 with the Padma Shri award." When his Padma Shri was announced earlier this year, Rohit described the recognition as a special moment for both himself and his family.
"Receiving the Padma Shri is a very special moment for me and my family. I thank the Government of India for this honour. I am also grateful to all those people who have played an important role in my career. My effort to win matches and trophies for my country will always continue.
Thank you. Jai Hind," he had said in a video released by Doordarshan on X in February. Rohit's leadership tenure brought considerable success to Indian cricket. Under his captaincy, India ended their ICC trophy drought by winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 after defeating South Africa in the final.
The following year, he guided the team to another major title as India lifted the Champions Trophy, cementing his reputation as one of the country's most successful white-ball captains.