New Delhi: Though Royal Challengers Bangalore lost the match to Rajasthan Royals on Monday, there was a good news for RCB skipper Virat Kohli as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nominated the middle-order batsman's name for the Arjuna Award for 2012.

Kohli is a prolific batsman for the Indian cricket team in every format of the game and since the retirement of stalwarts like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, he has become the maistay of India's middle order.

Meanwhile, legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar, who was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test, has been nominated for Dhyanchand Award for his lifetime achievement in cricket.

Last year the BCCI and the sports ministry were involved in a war of words over the timely nominations. However, the BCCI was prompt this time around, according to media reports.

The last date for receiving nominations for the Arjuna, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dronacharya and Dhyanchand awards is Tuesday, April 30, 2013.
 

According to media reports, the two nominations received as on Monday for the Khel Ratna award were that of Paralympian HN Girisha and India hockey defender Sandeep Singh. Girisha's silver medal-winning effort in high jump at the London Paralympic Games, which fetched him the Padma Shri earlier this year, is likely to lead him to the Khel Ratna too.