New Delhi: The BCCI on Friday congratulated this year's Arjuna awardees in cricket -- all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and spinner Poonam Yadav -- and lauded the two players' consistent performances for their respective teams.
While Poonam received the honour from President Ram Nath Kovind during Thursday's award ceremony at the Rashtrapatic Bhawan, Jadeja was a notable absentee due to national duty in the ongoing away Test series against the West Indies.
Vinod Rai, who heads the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) running BCCI right now, said both the cricketers "have raised the bar with their on-field performances."
"The award will further motivate them to do well and it will also inspire other young cricketers in the country to keep striving hard," Rai added.
His CoA colleague and former women's captain Diana Edulji called Poonam phenomenal for being the highest wicket-taker in the women's T20 format last year.
"Poonam has been consistently doing well. She was phenomenal in 2018 and finished with 35 T20I wickets, the most by any cricketer in a calendar year," Edulji said.
"I also congratulate Ravindra Jadeja for his all-round show," she added.
CoA's third member Ravindra Thodge wished the two players the best for their future.
"I congratulate them for this sporting honour. Ravindra Jadeja is only the third Indian cricketer to have 2000 plus runs and 150 wickets in ODIs. Both the cricketers are among the top 10 in the global rankings and I wish to see them climb up the ladder once again," Thodge said.
The BCCI had sent their nominations to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier this year in April.
