With BCCI annual awards, called the NAMAN Awards making all the buzz in the cricketing world ever since the closure of the T20 World Cup 2026, it is worth noting that the most successful captain in the world, MS Dhoni and the second most successful captain of India, Rohit Sharma have never won the BCCI cricketer of the Year award- officially known as the Polly Umrigar Award. But those two aren’t the only notable names to have missed out on the prestigious award that was introduced on 2006-07. The award for the 2024-25 season will be given to Shubman Gill.
Here are the top five cricketers who did not receive the BCCI cricketer of the Year award.
1. MS Dhoni
Despite being India’s most successful captain and a white-ball titan, Dhoni never won the Polly Umrigar Award.
The Reason: His peak (2007–11) coincided with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag’s late career surges, and his latter years (2012–18) were dominated by Virat Kohli’s incredible run-scoring.
Consolation: He was honored with the BCCI Special Award in 2017. Dhoni is also recipient of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the biggest sports honour in India.
2. Rohit Sharma
The “Hitman” has three ODI double-centuries and a record five centuries in a single World Cup (2019), yet he has never bagged BCCI Cricketer Of The Year Award.
The Reason: Rohit’s most prolific seasons often saw a teammate perform slightly better in the Test format (like Ashwin or Bumrah), which carries significant weight in the BCCI’s voting.
Consolation: He was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2020.
3. Anil Kumble
India’s greatest wicket-taker (619 Test wickets) retired in 2008, just one year after the awards were formalised.
The Reason: In the inaugural 2007 ceremony, the award went to Sachin Tendulkar. By 2008, Kumble had hung up his boots.
Consolation: He won the Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1996) and was later inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
4. Yuvraj Singh
The hero of the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup never took home the BCCI’s Player of the Year title.
The Reason: Yuvraj was a “big tournament” player but often missed out on the award due to injuries or inconsistent form in the long-form (Test) format during the regular seasons.
Consolation: He received the Arjuna Award (2012) and the Padma Shri (2014).
5. Sourav Ganguly
The “Prince of Calcutta” and the man who changed India’s overseas mentality never had this trophy on his mantle.
The Reason: Much like Kumble, “Dada” was nearing the end of his career when the awards started in 2007. His legendary captaincy peak (2000–2005) happened before the Polly Umrigar Award existed.
Consolation: He received the Padma Shri in 2004.