Former India skipper Nari Contractor, whose Test career was cut short after he suffered a near-fatal skull injury in the West Indies in 1962, was conferred the Board of Control for Cricket in India's prestigious CK Nayudu Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Contractor received the trophy named after the country's first Test captain from Board president Sharad Pawar, along with a citation and a cheque for Rs 15 lakh at the BCCI's annual awards function in Mumbai on Sunday.
Also felicitated on the occasion were Sachin Tendulkar Rahul Dravid and newly appointed Test captain and leg spinner Anil Kumble.
Tendulkar received the Polly Umrigar Award, carrying Rs five lakh prize and a trophy, for outstanding performance in international matches in the 2006-07 season, as well as a special trophy for reaching personal milestones of 11,000 and 15,000 runs in Tests and ODIs. Dravid received a special trophy for completing 10,000 runs in ODIs while Kumble was feted with another special trophy for being appointed as the captain of the Test team and completing 550 wickets in Tests.
Captain Kumble and his teammates left for Australia on Monday morning, hoping to create history by becoming the first Indian team to conquer the Aussies in their own backyard.
Kumble and his men left by a morning flight to Singapore en-route to Melbourne, firm in their belief that they have the wherewithal to bring to the knees the mighty Australians on high-bouncing pitches against fiery speedsters.
Video: Satish Bodas
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