New Delhi: Star India batsman Rohit Sharma is among the five athletes who will receive the country's highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, for 2020.
This will be the first time in the history of National Sports Day awards that five sportspersons will be conferred with the Khel Ratna.
The Selection Committee for National Sports Awards 2020 on Friday confirmed that cricketer Rohit, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, women's hockey captain Rani Rampal, table tennis star Manika Batra and para athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu will be conferred with the prestigious award on August 29 on the occasion of National Sports Day.
Rohit will be the fourth cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar, M.S. Dhoni and Virat Kohli to be conferred with the award. Tendulkar was awarded the Khel Ratna in 1998, Dhoni got it in 2007 while Kohli received it in 2018.
Also, 27 athletes, including cricketer Ishant Sharma, will get the Arjuna Award on August 29.
Interestingly, Sakshi Malik and Mirabai Chanu's names were removed from the final list. Their names were earlier recommended for Arjuna Award.