Sportstar ACES Awards 2026: Vote For Your Sporting Moment of the Year Now!

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy delivered moments that would go on to add sheen to the men’s campaign in England. The Old Trafford crowd had risen as one to greet Rishabh Pant when the wicketkeeper-batter, advised six weeks of rest after fracturing his foot, returned to bat during the fourth Test. Hobbling yet resolute, he scored his 18th Test fifty. In the fifth Test, Mohammed Siraj removed Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, and Gus Atkinson in a five-over burst to snatch victory.

In the chess world, Magnus Carlsen became a meme template, slamming his fist on the table before storming out of the playing hall after going down to D. Gukesh at Norway Chess. Divya Deshmukh won the Women’s World Cup against all odds. The 19-year-old, seeded 15th, upset higher-ranked opponents en route to the crown.

Harmanpreet Kaur held on to a breathtaking catch off Nadine de Klerk in the final of the Women’s ODI World Cup, which sealed India’s maiden triumph.

All of the above have been nominated for the coveted Sporting Moment of the Year honour at the eighth edition of the Sportstar ACES Awards, co-presented by Casagrand. Vote for your favourite nominee by scanning the QR code below until February 28.

Additionally, there are 19 Jury Awards, the winners of which will be chosen by an elite panel headed by legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, chess great Viswanathan Anand, and Olympians Anjali Bhagwat and Aparna Popat complete the jury.

There will also be a separate Chairperson’s Award for Sports for Social Good, which will honour individuals or organisations that have used the power of sports to make our world a better place.

Published on Feb 27, 2026