Who amongst the following is the recipient of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2021 ?

Deepak Punia
Shikhar Dhawan
Mithali Raj
Rupinder Pal Singh

The correct answer is (a) Deepak Punia.

Deepak Punia is an Indian freestyle wrestler who competes in the 86 kg division. He is a two-time World Championships silver medalist (2019 and 2021) and a two-time Asian Championships gold medalist (2017 and 2022). He is the first Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the World Championships.

Shikhar Dhawan is an Indian international cricketer who plays as a right-handed opening batsman. He is the vice-captain of the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League and captains the Punjab Kings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has played for India in all three formats of the game.

Mithali Raj is an Indian international cricketer who captains the India women’s national team. She is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket, with more than 20,000 runs in all formats. She is also the only player to have scored seven consecutive centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

Rupinder Pal Singh is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a defender. He is the captain of the Indian national team and the captain of the Punjab Warriors in the Hockey India League. He has played for India in over 200 international matches.

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting honour of India. It is awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognize outstanding achievement in sports. The award was instituted in 1991 and is named after Major Dhyan Chand, who is considered to be the father of Indian hockey.