Former India batter and head coach Rahul Dravid will be honoured with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s annual Naman Awards, scheduled to take place in New Delhi on March 15.

 

The recognition comes as part of the BCCI’s annual ceremony acknowledging performances and contributions across international and domestic cricket. Dravid, who represented India for over a decade and later served as the national team’s head coach, will receive the board’s highest individual honour for lifetime contribution to Indian cricket.

 

Alongside the former captain, India’s current Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill is set to be named the Cricketer of the Year. Gill finished as the leading run-scorer in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 and captained India during the Test series in England that ended in a 2-2 draw.

 

Read also: BCCI to felicitate Indian teams that won ICC titles in 2025 on March 15 in New Delhi

 

Mithali Raj, Ayush Mhatre and MCA to awarded at annual BCCI ceremony

 

The BCCI has identified several other awardees for the Naman Awards event. Ayush Mhatre, who captained India’s Under-19 side to a World Cup title, will receive the Lala Amarnath Award for best all-rounder in domestic white-ball cricket.

 

In addition, the Mumbai Cricket Association will be honoured as the best cricket association in domestic cricket for its contribution to the sport’s development and administration.

 

The board is also considering a lifetime recognition for former India captain Mithali Raj. The award, if confirmed, would acknowledge her long-standing role in shaping women’s cricket in the country.

 

Read also: Watch: The Wall Rahul Dravid Gets Teary-Eyed As Stadium Stand Is Dedicated To Him

 

Dravid’s international career and coaching tenure shape the recognition

 

Dravid made his Test and One-Day International debut for India in 1996 and went on to become one of the most dependable batters of his era. His consistent technique and ability to occupy the crease earned him the nickname “The Wall”. Across 164 Tests, Dravid scored 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31, including 36 centuries and 63 half-centuries.

 

In One-Day Internationals, he accumulated 10,889 runs from 318 innings at an average of 39.16, with 12 centuries and 83 fifties. He also appeared in one T20 International during his career. Against England in 2011, Dravid scored 31 runs from 21 balls.

 

After retirement, Dravid moved into coaching and played a role in India’s development pathway. He served as head coach of the Prithvi Shaw-led Under-19 team that won the 2018 World Cup and later headed the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, now known as the Centre of Excellence.

 

Dravid subsequently became the head coach of the senior men’s team. During his tenure, India reached the finals of the World Test Championship 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023, losing both to Australia. In 2024, India won the T20 World Cup, ending their ICC title drought and concluding Dravid’s stint as head coach