TOISA 2025: Smriti Mandhana, Samrat Rana awarded Sportsperson of the Year Award

Lucknow: Two world champions from different sports – Mandana Samrat Rana was named Sportsperson of the Year at the eighth edition of The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) in Lucknow on Saturday.Pistol shooter Rana and India women’s cricket vice-captain Mandana were honored for their outstanding performance in 2025 at a grand awards ceremony attended by top athletes and dignitaries. Both athletes put in outstanding performances, dominating their respective events and emerging as top performers of the year.Mandala played a decisive role in indian cricket In history, he helped the team win the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time. India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final, with Mandana making a huge contribution throughout the match. She became the second-highest run-getter with 434 runs and also scored a stunning 50-ball hundred against England – the second-fastest century in women’s international cricket.Her dominance extends beyond the World Cup. During the year, Mandhana became the first woman to score more than 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year and equaled the record for most ODI runs in a calendar year with five. She also achieved major career milestones by completing 4,000 T20I runs and over 10,000 international runs – becoming the second Indian after Mithali Raj to achieve this milestone.Rana’s historic rise in shooting prowessWhile Mandhana shone on the cricket field, Samrat Rana wrote history in the field of shooting. The 21-year-old became India’s first world champion in the 10m air pistol event, marking a breakthrough moment in his career. Rana performed well at the 2025 ISSF World Championships, winning two gold medals in the individual and team events and a silver medal in the mixed team event along with Esha Singh.With this feat, Rana joins the elite list of Indian shooting world champions, including Abhinav Bindra and Rudlankesh Patil. He capped off a remarkable season with a bronze medal in the Doha World Cup final, underlining his consistency at the highest level.Celebrating a landmark year for Indian sportsThe 8th edition of TOISA celebrates India’s excellence in sports across more than 45 categories, recognizing performance from January 1 to December 31, 2025. The awards highlight a year of historic achievements for India in cricket, athletics and para sports across the globe.The winners were selected by a distinguished jury consisting of legends like Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Leander Paes and Devendra Jhajharia.