Shikhar Dhawan

The Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) on Wednesday recommended Indian cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Shikhar Dhawan for the Arjuna Award, in recognition of the exuberant performances the two openers have put in recently.

Shikhar Dhawan currently opens the innings for the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been an indispensable asset across all three formats for the Indian team in recent years.

His contribution with the bat for the team was also recognized by the BCCI in the recently formed wage structure, wherein his salary was bumped by over 1300 percent to seven crores from 50 lakhs.

While women's cricket team opener Mandhana has also made quite the ripple in Women's International Cricket, since making her Test and One Day International (ODI) debuts in 2014 and 2016 respectively, starring in India's 2018 Women's World Cup campaign.

Smashing a 72-ball 90 in the first match against the eventual champions England, the 21-year-old then scored an unbeaten century in the second match against West Indies. She also was one of the first two Indian women, along with Harmanpreet Kaur, to feature in the Big Bash League.

Last year, the BCCI had recommended Cheteshwar Pujara and Harmanpreet Kaur for the award given by the Government of India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.