The Aryavarth Express
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a cash reward of ₹51 crore for Team India following their historic triumph in the ICC Women’s World Cup. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the announcement, praising the team for ending years of heartbreak and securing India’s maiden world title in women’s cricket across both ODI and T20I formats.
Team India defeated South Africa in a thrilling final to lift the coveted trophy, overcoming the disappointments of the 2005 and 2017 finals.
“In 1983, Kapil Dev inspired a new era in Indian cricket with the men’s World Cup win. Today, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team have done the same for women’s cricket,” Saikia told. “They’ve not just won the trophy but also the hearts of millions. Their victory will inspire the next generation of women cricketers.”
Saikia credited BCCI secretary Jay Shah for his transformative contributions to women’s cricket, highlighting initiatives such as pay parity and increased prize money. “Under Jay Shah’s leadership, women’s cricket has grown tremendously. Last month, ICC Chairman Jay Shah increased women’s prize money by 300%, from $2.88 million to $14 million. These steps have provided a huge boost to the women’s game,” he added.
Match Summary
After being sent in to bat, India put up a strong total of 298/7 in their 50 overs. Openers Smriti Mandhana (45) and Shafali Verma (87) gave India a solid start, followed by useful contributions from Jemimah Rodrigues (24), Harmanpreet Kaur (20), Deepti Sharma (58), and Richa Ghosh (34). South Africa’s Ayabonga Khaka was the standout bowler with figures of 3/58.
Chasing 299, South Africa began steadily, led by skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s superb 101 off 98 balls, but regular breakthroughs kept India ahead. Shafali Verma (2/36) and Shree Charani struck crucial blows before Deepti Sharma produced a match-winning spell of 5/39, becoming the first Indian woman to take a five-wicket haul in a World Cup final.
South Africa were eventually bowled out for 246, handing India a memorable 52-run victory and their first-ever Women’s World Cup title.
The BCCI’s ₹51 crore reward will be distributed among players, coaches, and support staff in recognition of their remarkable achievement.
