Indian spin bowling legend Ravichandran Ashwin was conferred with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. Ashwin received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on April 28, for his contributions to the nation in sports.
Ashwin was announced as one of the recipients of the prestigious award on the eve of Republic Day, and was present at the ceremony to accept the Padma Shri from President Murmu on Monday, April 28. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are among the several other dignitaries who were there at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. In a live video streamed of the ceremony, Ashwin can be seen paying his respects before receiving the award from India’s president.
Ashwin, who announced his international retirement after India's third Test match (Boxing Day Test) against Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, has played 287 international matches in his 15-year career, before announcing his international retirement in December 2024. Ashwin was India’s second-highest leading wicket-taker across formats, with 765 wickets, as well as six Test centuries to his name. He stands only behind some of the very best bowlers in world cricket in terms of wickets, and is widely considered the preeminent spin bowler of his generation, as well as a modern great.
Ashwin becomes the first cricketer to receive this honour since 2020, when Zaheer Khan was felicitated, and joins the ranks of players such as Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, and Mithali Raj.
Along with Ashwin, a host of other athletes received honours at Rashtrapati Bhavan, including recently-retired two-time Olympic medallist PR Sreejesh, who received the Padma Bhushan for his services as goalkeeper for the men’s national hockey team.
After announcing retirement from international cricket, Ashwin is currently featuring in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where he is representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK).