Olympic medalists sneaked into the cricket club in the popularity stakes in the men’s league, while P.V. Sindhu retained the No.1 spot in people’s hearts among women
Cricketer Virat Kohli (Phill Magakoe/AFP); Badminton player PV Sindhu (PTI)
Because of the pandemic, February 2020 was the last time sports featured in India Today’s MOTN poll. A lot has changed since then. Virat Kohli resigned as captain in all three formats of the game, leaving the coast clear for the emergence of a new leader and, perhaps, a new sporting star. Whoever that is will have big shoes to fill as India’s former captains, Kohli and M.S. Dhoni, continue to hold a special place in the hearts of fans, and at the top of our poll. Rohit Sharma, who took the captaincy mantle from Kohli in T20 and ODI formats, is placed fourth.
Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic gold medal-winning javelin thrower takes the No. 3 spot, a worthy intruder in cricket’s domination of the top five slots.
It was Olympic medallists again, who topped the popularity stakes, be it badminton star P.V. Sindhu, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu or boxer Lovlina Borgohain. Sindhu has been the undisputable No.1 in the women’s category. Cricket is represented by Mithali Raj at No.3. Raj became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and most successful captain in women’s ODIs. She will lead her team in March to chase the one trophy missing in her storied career—the World Cup.
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