Jaipur. Following the BCCI’s “Naman Awards,” the Disabled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) held its first “Divyam Awards” ceremony here on Thursday, resonating throughout the cricket world. DCCI General Secretary Ravikant Chauhan created history by organizing a spectacular “Divyam Awards” ceremony. The “Divyam Awards” are serving as a lifeline for disabled cricketers, instilling a renewed enthusiasm among them. An event of this kind had never been seen in disabled cricket before.
The Rajasthan Disabled Cricket Association (RDCA), under the guidance of the DCCI, successfully organized the Physical Disability Annual Awards 2025. This historic occasion was organized to honor the exceptional contributions and achievements of differently abled cricketers, coaches, administrators, and supporters.
Ravindra Patil of Mumbai received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Gurudas Raut of Vidarbha received the Special Contribution Award. The Leadership and Inspiration Award went to Jaipuria Cricket Academy, which was received by Rohit Jhalani, Head Coach of the Indian Disabled Cricket Team.
The Special Recognition (Sponsorship, Infrastructure, and Awareness) Award was presented to Rajesh Bhardwaj of Noida. Neeraj K. Pawan, Chairman of the Rajasthan State Sports Council and Youth Affairs Department, was the chief guest at the ceremony. RCA Ad-hoc Committee Convenor D.D. Kumawat and DCCI Secretary Ravikant Chauhan were the chief guests.
Other distinguished guests included Vivek Gupta, Rajesh Tambi, RDCA President Jyotsna Chaudhary, RDCA Chief Patron Anil Mittal, RDCA Secretary Krishna Kumar Gupta, and RDCA Treasurer Gaurav Jhalani. Pawan and DD Kumawat announced that the India-England Physically Disabled Cricket Series will be held in Jaipur. They also assured their full support for the development and recognition of disabled cricket.
Ravikant Chauhan announced that a robust and systematic structure for disabled cricket will be implemented very soon. He further announced that salaries for disabled cricketers will soon be introduced, ensuring financial stability and professional recognition for the players. This event symbolizes the growing recognition of disabled cricket in Indian sports and aims to strengthen its foundation for future generations.
Winners of the Divyam Cricket Awards – DCCI Physical Disability Annual Awards 2025
Players’ Awards ✨
1️⃣ Ravindra Patil (Mumbai) – Lifetime Achievement Award
2️⃣ Gurudas Raut (Vidarbha) – Special Contribution Award
3️⃣ Vikrant Keni (Mumbai) – Players’ Choice (Popular Player)
4️⃣ Rajesh Kannur (Karnataka) – DCCI Player of the Year
5️⃣ Shivshankar (Karnataka) – Iconic Player Award
6️⃣ Surendra Khorwal (Rajasthan) – Best Amazing Player
7️⃣ Adil Nansola (Gujarat) – Rising Star of the Year
8️⃣ Anwar Ali (Uttar Pradesh) – Best Junior Player
9️⃣ Chandrabhan Giri (Hyderabad) – Best Coach
Special Recognition Award 🌟
• Mr. Nitendra Singh (Baroda) – Lifetime Contribution Award (Disability Cricket and Inclusion)
• Disability Cricket Development Award: Adishwar Jain (Mumbai), Dipen Gandhi (Gujarat), Girish Shevate (Maharashtra), Utpal Majumdar (West Bengal)
• Leadership and Motivation Award – Jaipuria Cricket Academy (Rohit Jhalani, Rajasthan)
• Grassroots Disability Cricket Development Award – Vidarbha Disabled Cricket Association
• Special Recognition Award (Sponsorship, Infrastructure, and Support Awareness) – Rajesh Bhardwaj (Noida)
• Best Zonal Coordinator – Madhusudan Naik (South Zone)
• Power Play Support Award – Sanjay Singh Tomar (Madhya Pradesh)
• Best Administrator Award – Dheeraj Harde (Vidarbha)
• National Best Team – Jammu & Kashmir
• Best Association of the Year – Chhattisgarh Disabled Cricket Association Association
During this meeting, several representatives from various states of the country participated, including Dipen Gandhi (Gujarat), Girish Shevate (Maharashtra), Sanjay Bhoskar (Vidarbha), Dr. Raghavi (Tamil Nadu), Sridhar (Karnataka), Suryanarayana (Andhra Pradesh), Arun (Kerala), Govindu (Pondicherry), Chandrabhan Giri (Hyderabad), Rajendra Singh Chauhan (Baroda), Devram (Saurashtra), Gurmeet Dhiman (Himachal Pradesh), Bhim Singh (Haryana), Arun Arora (Punjab), Lakhwinder Singh (Chandigarh), Rahul Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Naveen Chavan (Uttarakhand), Abhishek Singh (Chhattisgarh), Sanjay Tomar (Madhya Pradesh), Kalpesh Gaikar (Mumbai), Rakhel (Odisha), Iqbal Khan (Rajasthan), Aftab Alam (Jharkhand), Rakesh Kumar Gupta (Bihar) etc. attended the ‘Divyam Awards’.
