CNN-News18 has announced the nominees in the Sports and Rising Sports Star categories for its ‘Indian of the Year 2026 Awards’, which include cricketers Suryakumar Yadav and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, shooter Neeru Dhanda and several other athletes.

According to a CNN-News18 announcement, the 16th edition of the awards will recognise Indian athletes for their achievements in sports.

In the Sports category, Yadav has been nominated for leading India to its second consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title in March 2026. India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad.

Chess player R Vaishali is also among the nominees after earning a direct opportunity to compete for the Women’s World Championship title.

Shooter Neeru Dhanda has been nominated after becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in trap shooting. She scored 28 out of 30 targets, setting an Asian Games record and ending India’s 48-year wait for gold in the event.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is another nominee after winning silver in the women’s 49kg category at the 2026 Asian Games. The medal completed her set of major international titles and ended India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal.

India’s women’s 4×400-metre relay team — comprising Vithya Ramraj, Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma and Prachi Choudhary — has also been nominated after winning gold at the 2026 Asian Games.

It was India’s first athletics gold medal at the Games.

The Rising Sports Star category includes Sooryavanshi, who scored 776 runs in 16 IPL matches at a strike rate of 237.3. He became the youngest player to win the IPL Orange Cap and the youngest Indian men’s international cricketer.

Squash player Anahat Singh has been nominated after becoming the first Indian squash player to win the World Junior Squash Championship, ending a 13-year winning streak by Egyptian players.

She also won silver in women’s singles at the Asian Games.

The category also includes cricketer Yastika Bhatia, who became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s after returning from injury, and boxer Sakshi Chaudhary, who won gold in the women’s 51kg category at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.