India’s first woman cricket captain writes: I know the difference pay parity can make

27^th October 2022 was the most important day in India’s long & distinguished cricket history not because the Indian men’s team beat the Netherlands that day but because the BCCI announced that henceforth India’s women’s team will get paid the same as the men’s team: “Under this policy, the women – like the men – will earn INR 15 lakh for a Test, 6 lakh for an ODI and 3 lakh for a T20I. These amounts are significantly higher than the flat INR 1 lakh that India women players currently earn for an ODI or T20I appearance, and 2.5 lakh for a Test match.” (Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/india-women-cricketers-to-earn-same-match-fee-as-male-counterparts-bcci-secretary-jay-shah-confirms-1341878)
On this momentous occasion, India’s first cricket captain, Shantha Rangaswamy has written a stirring a column in the Indian Express which everyone should read in full. Here are some excerpts: “In my 21-year-long international career spanning from 1973 to 1994, I never made a single penny. It has been a long fight, and I think October 27, 2022, will be remembered as a momentous day for Indian women’s cricket. After all, this year, India’s centrally-contracted women cricketers will finally earn the same match fees as their male counterparts for appearances in international matches. This is a watershed decision taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
I always maintained that women’s cricketers have a greater passion for the game than men. We played for the sheer love of the game because we never made money. We always depended on our families to support us…
It has been a remarkable few months for Indian women’s cricket. We won silver at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, we routed the English team in the ODIs. Then, the board announced the much-awaited Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL), which will take place next year.
In my opinion, the WIPL will benefit a larger pool of cricketers because at least 50 domestic players will play in that tournament. So, the benefits will accrue to more domestic cricketers and not only to those who play for India.”

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