Lucknow: Two world champions from different fields of sports. Smriti Mandhana and Samrat Rana – were adjudged Sports Person of the Year at the eighth edition of The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) in Lucknow on Saturday.In a grand ceremony attended by top players and dignitaries, pistol shooter Rana and India women’s cricket vice-captain Mandhana were honored for their exceptional performance in 2025. Both the players have dominated their respective fields and put up brilliant campaigns and emerged as the performers of the year.Mandhana played a prominent role. Indian cricket history, helping the team win its first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title. India beat South Africa by 52 runs in the final, with Mandhana playing a vital role throughout the tournament. She scored 434 runs as the second highest run-scorer and also scored a breathtaking 50-ball century against England, the second fastest century in women’s international cricket.His dominance extended beyond the World Cup. During the year, Mandhana became the first woman to score over 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year and equaled the record for most ODI centuries with five in a single year. She also achieved important career milestones, crossing 4,000 T20I runs and 10,000 international runs – becoming the second Indian after Mithali Raj to reach the milestone.Rana’s historic rise in shootingWhile Mandhana shined on the cricket field, Samrat Rana created history in shooting. The 21-year-old became India’s first world champion in the 10m air pistol event, a landmark moment in his career. At the ISSF World Championships 2025, Rana produced a sensational performance, winning two gold medals – in the individual and team events – along with a silver in the mixed team event along with Isha Singh.With this feat, Rana joined an elite list of Indian shooting world champions that includes Abhinav Bindra and Rudrankash Patil. He capped off his remarkable season with a bronze medal at the Doha World Cup Final, highlighting his consistency at the highest level.Celebrating a historic year for Indian sportThe eighth edition of TOISA celebrated India’s sporting excellence in over 45 categories, recognizing performance between 1 January and 31 December 2025. The awards highlighted a year full of historic achievements, including India’s success in global cricket tournaments, athletics and para-sports.The winners were selected by an esteemed jury that included legends like Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Achinta Sarath Kamal, Leander Pace and Devendra Jhajharia.
