Anjum receives Padma Shri award

Anjum Chopra, the former India women's captain, dedicated the Padma Shri award to the country's women cricketers and said that being conferred with India's fourth highest civilian honour was a "bliss". Anjum, along with Yuvraj Singh, was among 56 distinguished people who were honoured with the Padma awards this year.

"You have to feel the moment to understand it - so inspiring and so positive. It meant everything. I felt on top of the world," Anjum told the Hindu. "It is an award for the game and the women's cricketing fraternity. I could earn this honour only because I played cricket for my country.

"I remember the applause for my ODI century. But receiving the applause from a select gathering today was unsurpassable. My cricket journey has been worth all the pain and sweat. It is not about my personal achievement. It is about winning it for women's cricket in India. I now have an extra responsibility to work towards improving the state of sports in the country."

Anjum is one of the country's most successful women cricketers, having played 12 Tests, 127 ODIs and 18 T20s in a career spanning 17 years. She is the the eighth-highest run-getter in women's ODIs, and has featured in four 50-over World Cups, including the 2005 edition in South Africa, where India reached the final. Anjum also captained India to a Test series win in England, in 2006.