TOISA Athlete of the Year Nominations: Celebrating India’s Best of the Best

The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards will be held in Lucknow on March 21, 2026, celebrating the achievements of India’s best athletes across multiple disciplines. The award recognizes performance between January 1 and December 31, 2025, and recognizes outstanding performance at global championships and major international events. Featuring over 45 categories, TOISA focuses on established stars and emerging talents who have brought pride to the country through outstanding performances over the past year.The winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges comprised of some of India’s most renowned sports icons. Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, Hockey superstar PR Sreejesh, former India captain Mithali Raj, Paralympic legend Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis stalwart Sharath Kamal and tennis icon Leander Paes Paes) will evaluate the nominees in various categories, ensuring a credible and professional assessment of excellence in Indian sports.The nominations in the Athlete of the Year category reflect the diversity and success of Indian sports in 2025. Teenage shooting star Suruchi Inder Singh has had a breakthrough season, winning five gold medals at the ISSF World Cup and a silver medal at the World Championships. Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh created history by winning the Women’s Chess World Cup and earning the Grandmaster title. In cricket, Mandana Played a key role in India’s maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup win while Shubman Gill Enjoyed a prolific year, including International Champions Cup and Asian Cup titles. Young shooter Samrat Rana also shone on the global stage and became the 10m air pistol world champion, capping off a memorable year in Indian sports.Here are the nominees for Athlete of the Year to ISA 2025:Suruchi Inder SinghDate of birth: April 28, 2006Place of birth: Jhajar, HaryanaSports: Shooting (10m air pistol)Main achievements in 2025:ISSF World Championships: Silver Medal (Team)ISSF World Cup Final: Gold Medal (Individual)ISSF World Cup Buenos Aires: Gold Medal (Individual), Bronze Medal (Mixed Team)ISSF Lima World Cup: Gold Medal (Individual), Gold Medal (Mixed Team)ISSF World Cup Munich: Gold Medal (Individual)Asian Championships: Bronze Medal (Team), Bronze Medal (Mixed Team)2025 has been a breakthrough year for teenage shooter Suruchi Singh. The 19-year-old rose to prominence after winning five gold medals at the ISSF World Cup. She won an individual gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Argentina, followed by a mixed team bronze medal. She then achieved double gold at the ISSF World Cup in Peru, winning the individual title and winning the mixed team gold with Saurabh Chaudhary. Suluch then won another individual gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Germany, and then won his fifth gold medal at the ISSF World Cup finals in Doha. She also won a team silver medal at the ISSF World Championships and two bronze medals at the Asian Championships to complete a remarkable season. Divya DeshmukhDate of birth: December 9, 2005Place of birth: Nagpur, MaharashtraSport: ChessMain achievements in 2025:Women’s Chess World Cup: ChampionsGrandmaster (GM) titleQualify for the 2026 Women’s Candidates ChampionshipDivya Deshmukh was born on December 9, 2005 in Nagpur, Maharashtra and quickly became one of India’s brightest chess talents. Known for her calculating acumen, strategic depth and composure under pressure, Divya combines tactical brilliance with a strong competitive mentality to consistently impress on the international stage.2025 is a historic year for her career. She defeated top players to win the Women’s Chess World Cup and declare herself a major force in women’s chess around the world. This landmark victory also earned her the prestigious Grandmaster (GM) title, making her the 88th GM from India and the fourth Indian woman to achieve this feat. In addition, her performance also ensured her qualification to participate in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Championship, bringing her one step closer to challenging the Women’s World Championship.With her talent, dedication and early success, Divya Deshmukh is widely regarded as a future star of Indian and international chess, inspiring a new generation of players.MandanaDate of birth: July 18, 1996Place of birth: Mumbai, MaharashtraSports: CricketMain achievements in 2025:ICC ODI World Cup 2025: Winner as vice-captain of Team IndiaODI Statistics 2025: 23 games 1362 runs Average 61.9 | SR 109.92 | 5 hundredsT20I Stats 2025: 341 runs in 9 games | Average 37.88 | SR 135.85 | 1 hundredSmriti Mandhana played a decisive role in the history of Indian women’s cricket when she won the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team in 2025, India’s first victory in the tournament. India ended a memorable match by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the DY Patil Stadium on November 2. Mandhana was central to the victory as he became the second highest scorer in the tournament with 434 points. During the tournament, she scored a stunning 50-ball century against England – the second-fastest century in women’s international cricket. During the year, she became the first woman to score more than 1,000 ODI runs in a year and broke her own record for most ODI runs in a year, reaching five in 2025, tied with Tazmin Brits.Mandhana has also reached important career milestones in various formats. In December, during the home series against Sri Lanka, she became the second woman after Suzie Bates to score 4,000 runs in T20 internationals. In the same series, she crossed 10,000 runs in women’s international cricket, becoming the second Indian after Mithali Raj and the fourth batsman to achieve this milestone, further cementing her status as one of the greats of modern cricket.Samrat RanaDate of birth: January 8, 2005Place of birth: Karnal, HaryanaSports: Shooting (10m air pistol)Main achievements in 2025:ISSF World Championships: Gold (Individual), Gold (Team) and Silver (Mixed Team)ISSF World Cup Final: Bronze Medal (Individual)Young Samrat Rana made history last year when he became the first 10m air pistol world champion from India, marking a decisive breakthrough in his career. The former Junior World Champion had a stellar performance at the 2025 ISSF World Championships, winning three medals and becoming one of the event’s brightest stars. Rana won a gold medal in the individual event, followed by another gold medal in the team event. He also won a silver medal in the mixed team event with Esha Singh.With this stellar performance, Rana became the third Indian shooting world champion, joining the elite list of Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and world champion Rudlankesh Patil. The 21-year-old continued to shine late in the season, winning a bronze medal at the Doha World Cup final, ensuring that the year would go down as one of the most memorable and important stages of his rapidly improving shooting journey.Shubman GillDate of birth: September 8, 1999Place of birth: Fazilka, PunjabSports: CricketMain achievements in 2025:ICC Champions Trophy 2025: WinnersACC Asian Cup: ChampionTest Stats 2025: 983 runs in 9 games | Main Street 70.21 | HS 269 | 5 hundredsODI Stats 2025: 490 runs in 11 games | Average 49.00 | SR 88.76 | 2 hundredsT20I Stats 2025: 291 runs in 15 games | Average 24.25 | SR 137.26 | HS 47 Shubman Gill has had a phenomenal 2025, cementing his place as one of the top batsmen in world cricket. He won the ICC Player of the Month honor twice during the year, becoming the first male cricketer to win the award a total of four times. Gill entered the ICC Champions Trophy as the number one ODI batsman and set the tone for India’s title win with an unbeaten 101 in the group stage match against Bangladesh. He also served as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in the 2025 Asia Cup (T20), where India lifted the trophy after defeating Pakistan in the final.In Tests, Gill ushered in a new era as captain following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He made his leadership debut at Headingley, joining an elite list of Indian captains who scored a hundred in their first Test in charge. He scored consecutive centuries at Edgbaston, including 269 (the highest score by an Indian captain in Tests) and 161 in the same match, amassing 430 runs, the second-highest score in Tests after Graham Gooch. Gill also became the third Indian captain to score five Test centuries in a year, emulating Kohli’s rare feat.