Indian cricketers who have won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is regarded as the highest honour for a sportsperson in India. Officially known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in Sports and Games, the annual award, which is named after India's former Prime Minister, recognises extraordinary performance in sports over a period of four years.

Initiated in 1991-92, the award has been conferred upon many remarkable Indian sportspersons over the years. While Chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was the first recipient of this prestigious honour, a few cricketers too have made the award their own.

Here the three Indian cricketers who have their names etched in this esteemed list of awardees:

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#3 Sachin Tendulkar (1998)

Sachin Tendulkar received the honour in 1998

Hailed as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar's name on the list shouldn't surprise anyone.

Starting his career in 1989 as a 16-year-old, Tendulkar quickly rose up the ranks and took the cricketing world by storm with his remarkable batting capabilities. The man from Mumbai soon became one of India's biggest sporting heroes and began to shoulder the team's batting responsibilities at a young age.

Amongst his many special seasons for India, 1997-98 remains as one of his most cherishable years. Tendulkar piled on runs against all oppositions and played a crucial role in helping India stamp its authority over the game. Australia's tour of India in 1998 was once such instance when the great man played some brilliant innings.

As a recognition of his remarkable performance in the year, Tendulkar was bestowed upon with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1998, thereby becoming the first cricketer to win the accolade.

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#2 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2008)

MS Dhoni won the award in 2008

One of India's favourite cricketing sons, MS Dhoni became the second cricketer to receive the country's highest sporting honour.

Debuting in 2004, Dhoni didn't take too long to set the stage on fire with his incredible batsmanship. From sporting a fashionable hairdo to exhibiting some never-before-seen shots, everything about him left the fans in awe. Within a span of three years after making his debut, Dhoni was also entrusted with the responsibility of captaining the national side.

The man from Jharkhand had his task cut out as he had to lead a young brigade at the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. However, much to the surprise of many pundits, Dhoni led an inspired show at the event that saw India lifting the coveted silverware. The period witnessed him grow from strength to strength in his game for India as he emerged as one of the country's biggest superstars.

The former skipper scored heaps of runs all across the globe and won many accolades for his progress with the Indian team. One of Dhoni's prized moments came when he was honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 2008.

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#1 Virat Kohli (2018)

Virat Kohli will soon be receiving the honour from the Government of India

The poster boy of Indian cricket for the last few years, Virat Kohli will soon be in the elite company of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardees.

Ever since he first burst on to the international scene in 2008, Kohli has come across as one of the fiercest competitors of the game. Raising his game and setting newer benchmarks with each passing match, the Indian skipper beams as one of India's most valuable sporting assets currently.

Be it for inspiring the team with his on-field passion or showcasing exemplary batting skills, Kohli possesses all the right tenets of a phenomenal cricketer. The last four years of his career have been truly special and have witnessed him emerge as one of the modern-day batting colossi.

If the recently concluded England tour is anything to go by, the man from Delhi is presently at the peak of his powers and looks unstoppable in his barrage of rewriting the records of the game. Virat Kohli will be receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on September 25 and become the third Indian cricketer to be honoured with the same.