Which Indian cricketer was honoured with the Padma Shri award in the year 2017?

Introduction / Context:
Padma awards are among the highest civilian honours of India and are often given to sportspersons for outstanding contribution. Virat Kohli is one of the most successful Indian cricketers in modern times, and he received the Padma Shri at a relatively young age. This question checks whether you know which cricketer from the list was honoured in two thousand seventeen.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is Padma Shri.
• The year is two thousand seventeen.
• We must pick the correct Indian cricketer from the options.

Concept / Approach:
Virat Kohli received the Padma Shri in two thousand seventeen for his achievements as a batsman and captain of the Indian cricket team. The other players listed are well known, but they either received honours in other years or different awards. Recognising the timeline of awards to major sports stars is a useful exam skill.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Virat Kohli was in peak form around two thousand sixteen and two thousand seventeen and led India in several series wins. Step 2: Remember that he was honoured with the Padma Shri in two thousand seventeen. Step 3: Check other names and their award timelines. For example, Mithali Raj and Ashwin have also received honours but not this particular award in that specific year. Step 4: Confirm that Virat Kohli fits the question exactly. Step 5: Select option d as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative check is to think of the pattern of awards. Virat Kohli later received even higher honours, which often follow after an earlier recognition such as Padma Shri. Media coverage at the time highlighted that a young cricket captain had been given this civilian award, which supports the choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ravichandran Ashwin: A top class spinner, but he was not the cricketer associated with Padma Shri in two thousand seventeen in this context.
Ajinkya Rahane: A respected batsman, but not the named recipient of the award for this year in the question bank.
Dinesh Karthik: Known as a wicketkeeper batsman but not connected with this particular civilian award in two thousand seventeen.
Mithali Raj: A great captain in women cricket, but the question specifically refers to the male cricketer widely reported with the award in that year, namely Virat Kohli.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may pick their favourite player or confuse the year with some other award announcements. Another error is to forget that the question is about Padma Shri, not Arjuna Award or Khel Ratna. Always match the award type and year before choosing an option.

Final Answer:
The Indian cricketer who was honoured with the Padma Shri award in two thousand seventeen is Virat Kohli.