In a major development, the Amita Sharma-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) women’s selection committee has been denied a share in the Rs 51 crore cash prize announced by the board.
Instead of the new selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the previous selection panel led by Neetu David will get a share of the cash prize as it was they who picked the India women’s national cricket team squad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Indian women given cash prize of Rs 51 crore
On Monday, November 3, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a prize money of Rs 51 crore for the India women’s national cricket team after they defeated the South Africa women’s national cricket team to win the World Cup.
In the summit clash at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, the host team played brilliant cricket and captured the title with a comprehensive 52-run win.
After the win, the Board of Control for Cricket in India decided to honor the significant achievement of the Indian women’s team and announced a cash reward of Rs 51 crore.
“To honor this unprecedented success, BCCI has announced a cash reward of Rs 51 crore for the players, support staff and selection committee for their remarkable performance, dedication and contribution to the sporting glory of the country.
“Under the able guidance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the players, support staff and every stakeholder have delivered an extraordinary performance on the grandest stage, fulfilling the aspirations of millions of fans across the country,” the BCCI said.
BCCI’s new selection committee refuses cash price
Ever since the prize money was announced, there was confusion as to which selection committee would get a share – the new or the old.
Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India named Amita Sharma, Sulakshana Naik, Jaya Sharma and Shravanthi Naidu as the new members of the women’s selection committee, while Shyama Dey has been retained from the previous panel.
However, the World Cup squad was actually selected by Neetu David along with Renu Margaret, Aarti Vaidya, Kalpana Venkatachar and Shyama Dey.
Now, Cricbuzz has reported that the old selection committee will get the bonus, but the new one will not. Notably, both the old and the new selection committee were not involved in the decision to replace Prateek Raval in the team when he was injured, and the team management decided to include Shafali Verma in the squad.
BCCI thanked Jay Shah
In an official media release, the Board of Control for Cricket in India thanked current ICC President Jay Shah, who played a key role in promoting gender parity in Indian cricket and introduced pay parity during his tenure as BCCI Secretary.
“The BCCI also takes this opportunity to highlight the important role of Shri Jay Shah, who served with distinction as the Honorary Secretary of the BCCI and now holds the position of President of the International Cricket Council (ICC),” the board said.
“During his tenure at the BCCI, Shri Shah took important initiatives to accelerate the expansion of domestic structures for women’s cricket, introduce elite level competitions and ensure better infrastructure.
“As ICC President, he has been a strong supporter of gender equality across the game. Under his leadership, the ICC announced a historic increase in prize-money for the Women’s World Cup, signaling that women cricketers will be treated equally as their male counterparts.”
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