Question

Mithali Raj recently became the first female cricketer to win which of the following awards?

• A. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
• B. Major Dhyan Chand Award
• C. Major Abdul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA Trophy)
• D. Dronacharya Award

Hint:

Mithali Raj is the first female cricketer to win the Khel Ratna, but she is the fifth cricketer overall to win this award, following Sachin Tendulkar (1997-98), MS Dhoni (2007), Virat Kohli (2018), and Rohit Sharma (2020).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award) is the highest sporting honor in the Republic of India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The recipient is selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and is honored for their "spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at the international level.

Step 1:
Mithali Raj, the legendary former captain of the Indian Women's National Cricket Team, has a pioneering career spanning over two decades (1999–2022). She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000-run mark in Women's One Day International (ODI) matches. In recognition of her unparalleled services to Indian cricket, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred upon her the prestigious

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on November 13, 2021.

Step 2:
Analyzing why the other options are incorrect:

• Major Dhyan Chand Award: This is a lifetime achievement award in sports and games given to veterans, which is distinct from the active performance-based 'Khel Ratna'.

• Major Abdul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA Trophy): This trophy is awarded primarily to top-performing universities in inter-university tournaments, not to individual international professionals.

• Dronacharya Award: This is awarded exclusively to sports coaches who demonstrate excellence in training athletic talent.
Thus, Mithali Raj made history explicitly as the first female cricketer to receive the Khel Ratna.