Hardik Singh for Khel Ratna, 24 for Arjuna Award; No Cricketers This Year

• Indian men's hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh recommended for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
• 24 players, including chess player Divya Deshmukh and decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, nominated for Arjuna Award.
• Yogasana player Aarti Pal makes history with first-ever Arjuna Award recommendation in her sport.
• Hardik Singh was part of Olympic bronze-winning teams (Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024) and Asia Cup gold team.
• Notably, no cricketers were recommended for the awards this year; Mohammed Shami was the last in 2023.

Why It Matters: Hardik Singh leads Khel Ratna nominations, 24 for Arjuna, with no cricketers this year.