Former Indian cricket team captain and star batter Rohit Sharma’s absence from the Padma Shri ceremony in New Delhi on May 25 left many fans surprised, especially after the star cricketer was officially named among the recipients of India’s fourth-highest civilian honour earlier this year. However, Rohit did not miss out on the award itself and is expected to receive the prestigious honour during a later ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Rohit, along with India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur, was conferred with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in recognition of his contributions to Indian cricket, leadership achievements and international success with the national team.
While Harmanpreet chose to stay back from India women’s ODI World Cup preparations in England to attend the ceremony in person, Rohit could not be present during the first investiture event because of scheduling reasons.
The Padma awards are traditionally distributed across multiple ceremonies held over several weeks at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with awardees divided into separate batches. Rohit is now expected to officially collect his medal during a secondary ceremony later this year.
WHY ROHIT SHARMA MISSED PADMA SHRI CEREMONY
Fans had expected Rohit Sharma to attend the ceremony after his name featured prominently among the Padma Shri awardees announced on Republic Day earlier this year.
However, the Indian captain was not part of the first batch of award recipients honoured by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on May 25.
The absence quickly became a talking point online, with many fans wondering why Rohit was not seen alongside the other recipients at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The reason, however, is procedural rather than controversial.
Padma award ceremonies are usually conducted in phases, and several awardees receive their honours during subsequent ceremonies depending on their schedules and government allocations.
Rohit had earlier expressed his gratitude after being named for the honour in January and had uploaded a video thanking the Government of India and fans for recognising his cricketing journey.
WHEN WILL ROHIT RECEIVE THE PADMA SHRI?
Rohit is now expected to receive his Padma Shri medal during a later investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, although the official date has not yet been publicly announced.
Awardees who are unable to attend the first ceremony are routinely accommodated during secondary ceremonies conducted by the government.
The India skipper was most recently seen in action for Mumbai Indians during IPL 2026, where injuries affected much of his campaign. Rohit played only nine matches this season, scoring 283 runs at a strike rate of 157.22 and an average of 35.38.
He is next expected to return in India colours during the ODI series against Afghanistan beginning on June 14.
Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur attended the ceremony in person before later joining the India women’s ODI World Cup squad in England and Wales.
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