• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Virat Kohli For Bharat Ratna Csk Legend Demands Prestigious Award For India Great

Virat Kohli For Bharat Ratna? CSK Legend Demands Prestigious Award For India Great

Soumyajit Dutta

Bharat Ratna award and Virat Kohli [Source: @beyas18/X]Bharat Ratna award and Virat Kohli [Source: @beyas18/X]

In the history of Indian sports, Sachin Tendulkar remains the sole athlete to receive the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Over a decade later, former cricketer Suresh Raina has sparked a fresh debate, urging the Indian government to recognise Virat Kohli’s contributions with the same distinction. 

The cricketing icon, Sachin Tendulkar was bestowed with the award in 2014 by then-President Pranab Mukherjee and Raina is now urging for the same recognition by India for Kohli.

Raina's Bold Claim for Virat Kohli!

Raina’s appeal comes days after Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, concluding a 14-year career in the format marked by record-breaking performances and leadership.

"Virat Kohli ne jitni upalabdhiyan haasil ki hain, Bharat aur Bharatiya cricket ke liye unhone jo bhi kiya hai, uske liye unhein Bharat Ratna se sammaanit kiya jana chahiye. Bharat sarkar ko unhein Bharat Ratna award dena chahiye (The number of achievements Virat Kohli has accomplished, and whatever he has done for India and Indian cricket, for that he should be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. The Government of India should give him the Bharat Ratna award)," Raina said during a show on Star Sports, as quoted by TOI.

Kohli's Call Marks Big Shift For India

Kohli’s retirement closes a significant chapter in Indian cricket. With 9,230 Test runs, 30 centuries, and an average of 46.85 across 123 matches, he leaves behind a legacy as one of India’s most prolific Test batters. 

His exit follows recent retirements of stalwarts like Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma, signalling a generational shift in the team. Kohli, who will continue in ODIs, expressed gratitude for his Test journey, calling it a “heart full of gratitude” in an emotional social media post.