The current ICC Chairman and the former BCCI secretary Jay Shah is the man who stood behind the women of this cricket loving nation and he made them equals. There was a time just 15 years back that a former BCCI President said that India only plays women’s cricket because the ICC rules say so. Before Jay Shah there were not many changes made but in the 6 years he has been an administrator first for the BCCI and now ICC, Women’s Cricket has become mainstream.
Let’s look at the changes that Jay Shah brought about while being in office
Pay Parity between Men and Women in International Cricket
This is arguably the single biggest change that Jay Shah has brought about in Indian cricket. The women were heavily underpaid as compared to the men. In the 2005 World Cup the Indian women were paid just 1000 rupees per match. Jay Shah on 27th October 2022 announced that the Indian men and women will get equal pay in all international matches in all 3 formats. According to the new policy, The Indian cricketers will get 15 Lakh per Test Match, 6 Lakh per ODI Match and 3 Lakh Per T20I Match. This was a historic change that was celebrated by one and all. This brought about financial stability and the women were paid based on their skills and talents. This will motivate many millions of girls to take up cricket as a viable profession.
The Launch of the WPL
This was a demand that was long there by all the women players across the world. In 2023, Jay Shah was the one who pushed for the Women’s Premier League to start. It started with 5 teams. Existing IPL teams such as Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru brought 3 of the teams. The Television rights were sold for 951 crores which is a huge amount. The launch of the WPL made sure that young girls from across India would get a lot of money for playing 2 months. They would also get to play with and against the best international players in the world such as Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt, Alana King. Smriti Mandhana was bought by RCB for 3.4 crores which was a huge amount. This ensures that the franchises would scout Young Indian talents who would then play for India.
Increased Investment and Financial Support
The investment in women’s cricket in India increased by 16 times during the leadership of Jay Shah in the BCCI. The women were given their own facilities and not just to share the ones that the men had. Specialised camps would be organized and fitness camps would also take place. The NCA was also made world class so that the women can take advantage of those facilities. Women’s Domestic cricket was introduced and they were being played on pitches which were fresh and were suitable to international standards. This allowed the domestic players to get the feel of international cricket. The BCCI invested heavily in the coaching staff and the mental health of the players. A specialised batting coach, bowling coaches and fielding coach were hired. Full time strength and conditioning coaches and Sports Psychologists and Analysts were also hired to help the women’s team whenever necessary.
Under Age and Domestic Cricket got a structure
Jay Shah was also key in the area that he introduced a structure for Under 15 cricket for the girls. Now there are coaches that look especially at the Under 15 cricket and they spot talent that play for India at the Under 19 level. The domestic structure for the women was also changed and more India A tours were introduced. The Under 19 cricket in India has seen players that are already the best players for India. The Indian team won the 2025 Under 19 Women’s T20I World Cup and this is the result of the work done by Jay Shah and team. Players from towns which were not from the main cricket towns started playing for India. For example 13 of the winning team for India in the 2025 World Cup are from smaller cities. The BCCI has been urging state associations to do more and let more women play for the state.
