“Happy and Proud” - Team India skipper Rohit Sharma reacts to BCCI’s decision of equal pay for men and women’s cricketers

Indian men’s cricket captain Rohit Sharma has reacted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to implement an equal pay policy for male and female cricketers.

Rohit is currently captaining the Indian team in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

Sharing his thoughts on the massive development in Indian cricket, the 35-year-old took to his official Twitter handle and wrote:

“Happy and Proud.”

He posted the tweet with a clapping hand emoji.

India’s women cricketers have been batting for pay on par with male cricketers representing the country. On Thursday, October 27, BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to his official Twitter handle and confirmed that the same is being implemented. He posted:

“I’m pleased to announce @BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing pay equity policy for our contracted @BCCIWomen cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be same as we move into a new era of gender equality in 🇮🇳 Cricket.”

Giving out further details, Shah added in a follow-up tweet:

“The @BCCIWomen cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the Apex Council for their support. Jai Hind 🇮🇳.”

The Indian women’s cricket team has been performing exceptionally well in recent times. They were runners-up in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 and whitewashed England women in England 3-0 in a ODI series.

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“Lot of girls in India will now choose cricket as a professional career” - India women’s captain Kaur

Following the announcement of equal pay, India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur also hailed the BCCI for its historic decision. She asserted that the move would encourage more young girls to take up cricket as a career.

In a video on Star Sports, she said:

“I am really happy that the BCCI has taken this decision. We have always batted for equal pay and, for the first time in India, women cricketers will get the same amount as their male counterparts.

“I am sure that a lot of girls in India will now choose cricket as a professional career. I am really happy and very thankful to the BCCI for that.”

Earlier this month, Harmanpreet-led India women lifted the Asia Cup for the seventh time, defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a one-sided final.