Joining Khel Ratna awardee list is a great honour, states Rohit Sharma

On Thursday, India star batsman Rohit Sharma conferred with the Khel Ratna award, which is the highest sporting honour of the country, for his achievements in the field of cricket. The latest of his major exploits was scoring 5 centuries for India in the World Cup 2019, becoming the only batsman to score 5 centuries in a World Cup. However, India not winning the World Cup didn’t allow a fairytale ending to his glorious run.

The Mumbai Indians skipper said that he felt privileged to have been conferred with the Khel Ratna award and was blessed to join the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who all have been given the same award in the past. He also thanked BCCI and Sports Ministry for recommending his name and vowed to continue performing at his highest level. 

“It feels great to be receiving the highest sporting honour. I am so, so happy and privileged to receive this award. I would like to thank the Sports Minister and the BCCI for acknowledging and recommending my name. I promise to keep working hard and continue to bring laurels to my country,” Rohit said in a video uploaded on official BCCI Twitter handle as quoted by Hindustan Times.

“It’s a wonderful group to be a part of - all these three names mentioned (Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli) who have done wonders to our country and brought so much joy to the country. And joining this list is a great honour. I am very happy about it,” the opening batsman added.

The cricket-loving India has always been backed their Men in Blue, sometimes even elevating the status of players to that of gods. The Mumbaikar too enjoys a massive fan following throughout India for his swashbuckling batting, being an absolute terror at the top order for opposition bowlers. Rohit, who is also the only batsman to score 3 double hundreds in ODIs, thanked his supporters for all the love they have showered on him. 

“To be recognised for anything you do for your country is a big motivating factor and I will always strive to bring happiness and joy to our country. To my fans, my support system and my family - thank you very much. This would not have been possible without you. Keep supporting and keep getting behind the team. Thank you very much,” Rohit further said.

Rohit will lead four-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League which kicks off from September 19th in the UAE.