Legendary former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar hailed current ICC Chairman and former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah for his efforts to make women`s cricket in India take centrestage. Tendulkar shed light on how the advent of the Women`s Premier League (WPL) has helped the growth of women`s cricket in India in terms of opportunities and exposure.
The ICC Hale of Famer Tendulkar believes the strength of women`s cricket lies in the grassroots and congratulated Jay Shah for the efforts he had been taking to ensure that the foundation is set for exponential growth of women`s cricket in India.
Here`s what Sachin Tendulkar had to say in his column for the ICC about women`s cricket and Jay Shah:
“I must acknowledge the strides made in the past few years. The Women’s Premier League has been nothing short of a game-changer. It has provided the platform, visibility, and financial security that generations of women cricketers could only dream of. A lot of credit must go to Jay Shah, who, during his time as BCCI secretary, pushed for equal match fees for men and women and laid the foundation for the WPL. These steps may appear administrative on paper, but in reality, they change lives. They tell every aspiring young girl that her passion is valued equally.”
Sachin Tendulkar also applauded the ICC for announcing a record prize money for the winner of the 2025 Women`s World Cup. The prize money for the Women`s World Cup this year is a whopping USD 13.8 million, which is more than what was for the Men`s World Cup 2023 (USD 10 million). Along with the equal match fees for men and women, Jay Shah increasing the prize money for the Women`s World Cup is something Tendulkar was delighted with.
“I also want to thank the ICC for announcing record prize money for this tournament, even surpassing what was on offer for the men’s World Cup in 2023. Symbolically and practically, it sends a powerful message—that women’s cricket deserves not just applause, but equal respect,” Tendulkar concluded.
The Women`s World Cup 2025 began with hosts India beating Sri Lanka by 58 runs in a rain-shortened match in Guawahati on Tuesday, September 30.