Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 2: Indian women athletes who delivered landmark performances in 2025 have been shortlisted for the prestigious BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Awards. Leading the nominations are India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, her deputy Smriti Mandhana, and chess sensation Divya Deshmukh.
Also nominated for the annual honour are pistol shooter Suruchi Singh and track and field star Jyothi Yarraji. The nominees were selected by an eminent jury comprising sports editors, writers and specialists, based on their performances over the past year.
Announcing the nominees, Fiona Crack, Interim Global Director of BBC News, said the award celebrates a year of exceptional achievements by Indian sportswomen and provides them a global platform to showcase their success.
Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, etched her name in history by leading India to its maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title in November 2025. Playing on home soil, she produced a memorable knock of 89 off 88 balls in the semi-final against Australia while chasing a daunting target of 339. Her earlier unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final remains one of the finest innings in women’s cricket. Kaur has also featured in Time magazine’s Top 100 Emerging Leaders list and the BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring Women.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana continued her rise as one of the modern greats of the game. The 29-year-old left-hander holds the second-highest number of ODI centuries and ranks third in total runs among active players. In September 2025, she smashed a 50-ball century against Australia, the fastest by an Indian in ODIs, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record. Mandhana has been named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year twice, in 2018 and 2021.
Chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh scripted history in July 2025 by becoming the first Indian and the youngest-ever winner of the FIDE Women’s World Cup. The triumph earned her the grandmaster title. In a symbolic final, the 20-year-old defeated Koneru Humpy, India’s first woman grandmaster. Born in Nagpur, Deshmukh began playing chess at five and rose rapidly through the ranks, winning multiple national and international titles, including a key role in India’s medal-winning Olympiad teams.
In shooting, Suruchi Singh emerged as one of India’s brightest talents. The 19-year-old from Haryana won multiple medals at ISSF World Cups and World Championships, including individual gold medals in Buenos Aires, Lima and Munich in 2025. She also claimed gold in the mixed team event in Lima and finished the year as the world number one in the ISSF 10m air pistol rankings.
Athlete Jyothi Yarraji continued to blaze a trail on the track. She became the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympic 100m hurdles at the Paris Games and has consistently broken her own national record. In 2025, she won gold in the 100m hurdles at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, further cementing her status as one of Asia’s top hurdlers.
The winner of the 2025 BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award will be announced later this year.