Mumbai: If selected, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli will become only the third cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni to claim the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has nominated Kohli for top sports honour of the country.
The BCCI has also recommended Ajinkya Rahane's name for the Arjuna Award.
Virat succeeded MS Dhoni as Team India's regular Test skipper during Australia series in 2015 and led the side to an impressive series win in Sri Lanka before beating the No. 1 ranked Test team South Africa by a 3-0 margin.
According to a report in the www.bcci.tv, “If Virat gets this prestigious award, then he will be the third cricketer after batting great Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni to be bestowed with the honour.”
The Khel Ratna award carries a cash reward of Rs 7.5 lakh along with a citation, while the Arjuna award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh and a citation.
Meanwhile, if selected, Rahane will join teammates Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, who have been previous recipients of the awards.
