New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) In a celebration of India's rising female athletic prowess, five exceptional sportswomen have been nominated for the prestigious BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award for 2025. The nominees include cricket icons Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh, shooting sensation Suruchi Singh, and track star Jyothi Yarraji.
Celebrating a Year of Sporting Brilliance
The BBC World Service announced the shortlist, highlighting a remarkable year for women's sports across the nation. Fiona Crack, Interim Global Director of BBC News, emphasized the platform's role in amplifying these achievements. "Indian Sportswoman of the Year marks a year of sporting brilliance for women across India, and the BBC World Service plays an essential role in showcasing and celebrating those endeavours like no other media provider," she stated. "We're thrilled to give these women a platform to amplify their hard-earned achievements to audiences in India and around the world." The selection was made by an eminent jury of sports editors, writers, and specialists, evaluating performances over the past year.
Captain Courageous: Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur, the inspirational captain of the Indian women's cricket team, led her squad to a historic maiden ICC Women's World Cup title in November 2025. Playing on home soil, she showcased her leadership with an 88-ball 89 in the semi-finals against Australia, chasing a daunting target of 339 runs. Her legendary innings of 171 not out against the same opponent in the 2017 World Cup semi-final remains one of the greatest in women's cricket history. Recognized globally, Kaur has been featured in Time magazine's 2023 list of Top 100 Emerging Leaders and BBC's 100 Most Inspiring Women.
Chasing Greatness: Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women's cricket team, continues to cement her legacy as one of the sport's all-time greats. The 29-year-old left-hander from Sangli, Maharashtra, boasts the second-highest number of centuries in one-day internationals and ranks third in runs among current players. Inspired by her father and brother, who played cricket at the district level, Mandhana made headlines in September last year with a 50-ball hundred against Australia—the fastest century by an Indian in the format, breaking Virat Kohli's record. A two-time ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year (2018 and 2021), she is a formidable force in the cricketing world.
New Queen of 64 Squares: Divya Deshmukh
At just 20 years old, chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh scripted history in July by becoming the first Indian and youngest-ever champion of the FIDE Women's World Cup, earning grandmaster status. In a symbolic passing of the baton, she defeated Koneru Humpy, the first Indian woman grandmaster, in the finals. Hailing from Nagpur, Deshmukh started playing chess at five and became the Under-7 national champion within two years. She won the World Youth Chess Championship in the girls' under-12 category in 2017, played a key role in India's bronze-winning team at the 2022 Olympiad, and later secured individual gold and team victory in 2024.
Guns and Glory: Suruchi Singh
Suruchi Singh has emerged as a shooting star, consistently winning medals in international competitions like ISSF World Cups and World Championships. The 19-year-old from Haryana made waves in 2024 by winning seven gold medals at the National Shooting Championship. She quickly established herself on the global stage after her senior international debut, achieving a rare golden treble in 2025 with individual gold medals in ISSF World Cup events in Buenos Aires, Lima, and Munich. In Lima, she also secured gold in the mixed team event. At the Asian Shooting Championship, she won bronze in the women's team event with Manu Bhaker and Palak Gulia, and in September, she became the top-ranked woman shooter in the ISSF 10m air pistol category.
Setting the Stage Ablaze: Jyothi Yarraji
Jyothi Yarraji made history as the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympics 100m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Games. Overcoming personal hurdles, the 26-year-old from a modest background—her father worked as a security guard and her mother as a domestic worker—has shattered records repeatedly. In 2022, she broke the national record for the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.23 seconds and has since surpassed it multiple times. She excelled at the 2022 National Games with multiple gold medals, earned bronze at the World University Games, silver at the 2022 Asian Games, gold at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in the 60m hurdles in 2023, and silver at the Asian Athletics Championships. In 2025, she won the 100m hurdles gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, solidifying her status as Asia's top hurdler.
These five nominees represent the pinnacle of women's sports in India, showcasing talent, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements that inspire millions nationwide.
