Odisha state Ranji team batter Anil Parida and cricketer-turned-umpire Dhiraj Singh bagged the Saroj Mahasuar Memorial Cricket Award 2026 today. The annual was revived after a gap of five years. Parida received the Best Young Cricketer Award, while Singh was conferred with the Best Umpire Award in a function, held at Town Club Ground, Old Town, Bhubaneswar.

Middle-order batter Parida, who hit an unbeaten 99 on his Ranji Trophy debut against Services last year, has accumulated 422 runs, including one century and three fifties in four First-Class matches so far. He honed his skills at Juvenile Club, Cuttack, and represented Odisha in Vinoo Mankad Trophy, Cooch Behar Trophy, CK Nayudu Trophy and Test-A Trophy earlier.

Singh bagged 119 wickets in 51 first-class matches he played for Odisha senior mens team during a decade-long career (2008-2018) as a left-arm spinner before taking to umpiring in 2023-24. The Cuttack-based cricketer also played Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Duleep Trophy. He is the fourth BCCI panel umpire from Odisha after Subrat Das, Arun Basa and Durgadutta Das.

The annual award for the best young cricketer was instituted in the year 2004, in the memory of cricket umpire Saroj Mahasuar, who died in road accident while returning home after officiating an inter-district match in Cuttack in 2002. The best umpire award was added in 2009.

Odisha Olympic Association president Samir Mohanty, Town Club president Suresh Kumar Routray, cricketer-turned-politician Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, eminent cricket coach Kishor Mania and former Odisha State senior cricket team captain P Jayachandra graced the function as guests. Saroj Mahasuara Smruti Committee convenor Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, sports journalist Bimal Roul, Town Club secretary Pruthwikant Mohapatra and corporator Chandrasekhar Malia were present on the occasion.
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PHOTO: Saroj Mahasuar Memorial Award winners Anil Parida (extreme right) and Dhiraj Singh (extreme left) pose with dignitaries and award committee officials in Bhubaneswar on 6 September 2026.