A journey that ended years ago continues to be remembered and cherished
In Mumbai, the 27th CEAT Cricket Rating Awards gathered the sport's past and present to measure excellence across generations. Brian Lara and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar were honored for careers that reshaped cricket's possibilities, while Joe Root's relentless consistency earned him the game's highest current distinction. India's players claimed multiple honors, and Rohit Sharma's special recognition marked both a chapter's culmination and a quiet moment of transition. Such ceremonies remind us that sport is not merely competition but an ongoing conversation between what has been achieved and what remains possible.
- Brian Lara's emotional acceptance of the Lifetime Achievement Award brought the weight of cricket's history into a room full of its present-day architects.
- Joe Root's cross-format consistency placed him above his peers in a year when England's batting depth also reasserted itself through Harry Brook's Test honors.
- India swept the T20 and women's categories — Samson, Chakravarthy, Mandhana, and Deepti Sharma — signaling a broad and deepening national dominance.
- Rohit Sharma's composed first public appearance since losing the ODI captaincy turned a celebratory moment into a quiet study in transition and legacy.
- Awards for Raghuvanshi and Harsh Dubey traced cricket's full pipeline, from Ranji Trophy grounds to international stages, insisting that foundations still matter.
Mumbai's Tuesday evening became a reckoning for cricket — a moment when the sport paused to measure itself against its own standards. The 27th CEAT Cricket Rating Awards honored both the game's memory and its living practitioners.
The night opened toward the past. Brian Lara, whose career redefined what was possible at the crease, received the Lifetime Achievement Award and spoke with visible emotion about how a journey long ended continues to be remembered. India's legendary spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar shared the honor, underscoring how such ceremonies serve as custodians of cricket's collective memory.
In the present tense, Joe Root claimed Men's International Cricketer of the Year for his durability across all formats, while Harry Brook was named Men's Test Batter and Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya took Men's Test Bowler honors. India dominated the T20 and women's categories: Sanju Samson and Varun Chakravarthy swept the T20 awards, while Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma completed a domestic sweep on the women's side. Kane Williamson and Matt Henry claimed the ODI batting and bowling honors for New Zealand, and Temba Bavuma was recognized for exemplary leadership.
Rohit Sharma's special recognition — for leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy — carried a quieter significance. Receiving the award from Sunil Gavaskar, Rohit made his first public appearance since being removed from ODI captaincy, composed and renewed, the moment acknowledging both his achievements and the transition underway.
The evening closed on cricket's future. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was named Emerging Player of the Year, and Harsh Dubey earned Domestic Cricketer of the Year for his Ranji Trophy performances — a reminder that the foundations of the game are still being laid, one domestic ground at a time.
Mumbai's glittering evening on Tuesday brought together cricket's establishment and its rising generation under one roof. The 27th CEAT Cricket Rating Awards, held in India's financial capital, was less a ceremony and more a reckoning—a moment when the sport paused to measure itself against its own standards of excellence.
The night belonged partly to the past. Brian Lara, the West Indies batsman whose career redefined what was possible at the crease, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Standing before the assembled crowd, Lara spoke with visible emotion about the strange permanence of a cricket life—how a journey that ended years ago continues to be "remembered and cherished." He was not alone in this honor. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, India's legendary spinner, also received the Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition that underscored how these ceremonies function as custodians of cricket memory.
But the evening was equally about the present tense. Joe Root of England claimed the Men's International Cricketer of the Year award, a recognition of his relentless consistency across Test, ODI, and T20 formats—the kind of durability that defines a career's architecture. His teammate Harry Brook, meanwhile, was named Men's Test Batter of the Year, suggesting England's batting stocks have begun to replenish themselves. Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya took the Men's Test Bowler of the Year honor, his left-arm spin having carved out a distinct space in the format.
India's presence at the awards was unmistakable. Sanju Samson claimed the T20I Batter of the Year award, while Varun Chakravarthy earned the T20I Bowler of the Year distinction. On the women's side, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma completed what amounted to a domestic sweep, being named Women's Batter and Bowler of the Year respectively. Kane Williamson of New Zealand took the Men's ODI Batter of the Year award, while Matt Henry of the same nation was named Men's ODI Bowler of the Year. Shreyas Iyer received the CEAT JioStar Award, and Temba Bavuma of South Africa was honored for exemplary leadership.
Rohit Sharma, India's former captain, received a special memento for steering the national team to two consecutive ICC titles—the 2024 T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy earlier in 2025. Receiving the award from Sunil Gavaskar, Rohit appeared composed and physically renewed, marking his first public appearance since being removed from ODI captaincy ahead of the Australia tour. The recognition seemed to acknowledge both what he had accomplished and the transition the team was navigating.
Among the emerging voices, Angkrish Raghuvanshi was named Emerging Player of the Year, a designation that carries the weight of expectation. Harsh Dubey earned the Domestic Cricketer of the Year award on the strength of his Ranji Trophy performance, a reminder that domestic cricket remains the foundation upon which international careers are built. The awards, in their breadth, traced the full arc of cricket's ecosystem—from the domestic grounds where players first prove themselves to the international stages where legacies are forged.
Notable Quotes
To be presented with this accolade at such a celebrated forum is special indeed. It feels wonderful to know that my journey in cricket continues to be remembered and cherished.— Brian Lara, upon receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a ceremony like this matter? It's just handing out trophies.
Because it's how a sport talks to itself about what it values. These awards aren't random—they're saying Joe Root's consistency matters more than a single brilliant season, or that Smriti Mandhana's dominance across formats is what we're building toward.
But Rohit Sharma got a special memento, not a major award. What does that signal?
It signals transition. He won two ICC titles—that's enormous—but he's also being moved aside in ODI cricket. The memento honors the achievement while acknowledging the change. It's a way of saying thank you and goodbye at the same time.
India swept several categories. Does that mean Indian cricket is just better right now?
It means Indian cricket is deeper. You have Samson and Mandhana and Chakravarthy all performing at elite levels simultaneously. That's not luck—that's a system producing talent across formats and genders.
What about Brian Lara getting the Lifetime Achievement Award? He hasn't played in years.
That's the point. A Lifetime Achievement Award isn't about what you're doing now—it's about what you did and what it meant. Lara redefined batting. That doesn't expire.
So these awards are really about narrative—about how cricket tells its own story?
Exactly. They're the sport's way of saying who matters, who we remember, and who we're betting on next.