Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is set to receive the Colonel CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI’s annual awards ceremony on February 1. Indian ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been chosen for the Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer for 2023-24 in the men’s category while Smriti Mandhana has been picked for the corresponding women’s trophy.
Tendulkar will be the 31st recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was instituted in 1994 in honour of India’s first captain CK Nayudu. Tendulkar retired from international cricket having played for more than 2 decades after debuting as a 16-year-old in a 1989 Test against Pakistan. His 200 Test and 463 ODI appearances are the highest by any player in history, as are his runs tally in both formats: 15,921 in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs. He also played one T20I, India’s first ever, against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006.
Bumrah, who was also termed the ICC Cricketer of the Year earlier this month, was India’s standout bowler in the assessment period, playing a key role in India lifting the T20 World Cup in June. He picked up 15 wickets in eight games at an economy of 4.17 and was declared the Player of the Tournament. He contributed significantly in India’s Test series win against England at home.
Among woman cricketer Mandhana, who was termed the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024, was India’s best woman batter across formats. Apart from scoring 149 against South Africa in the one-off Test in Chennai, she scored 117, 136 and 90 in successive ODIs against the same opponents.
