BCCI announces Rs 51 cr cash reward for ICC Women’s World Cup-winning team
MUMBAI, Nov 3: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia announced a cash prize of Rs 51 crore for the ICC Women’s World Cup-winning Team India.
Team India finally put the heartbreaks of the 2005 and 2017 World Cup finals behind them as they beat South Africa to secure their maiden world title across ODI and T20I formats.
Mr. Saikia said, “In 1983, Kapil Dev brought about a new era and encouragement in cricket by making India win the World Cup. The same excitement and encouragement has been introduced by the women today. Harmanpreet Kaur and her team have not just won the trophy today, they have won the hearts of all Indians. They have paved the way for the next generation of women cricketers… Women’s cricket already reached its next level when our team defeated Australia in the semifinals…”
“Since Jay Shah took charge of the BCCI (serving as secretary of BCCI from 2019 to 2024), he has brought about many transformations in women’s cricket. Pay parity was also addressed. Last month, ICC Chairman Jay Shah increased women’s prize money by 300%. Earlier, the prize money was $2.88 million, and now it has been increased to $14 million. All these steps have greatly promoted women’s cricket. BCCI has also announced a reward prize of ?51 crores for the entire team- players, coaches, and support staff,” he added.
Coming to the match, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. A century partnership between Smriti Mandhana (45 in 58 balls, with eight fours) and Shafali Verma kick-started things for India, followed by another 62-run stand between Shafali (87 in 78 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Jemimah Rodrigues (24 in 37 balls, with a four). India was at a fine platform of 166/2.
A 52-run stand between skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (20 in 29 balls, with two fours) and Deepti Sharma took India beyond the 200-run mark. A final flourish by Deepti (58 in 58 balls, with three fours and a six) and Richa Ghosh (34 in 24 balls, with three fours and two sixes) helped India reach 298/7 in their 50 overs.
Ayabonga Khaka (3/58) was the leading wicket-taker for SA.
During the run-chase, a fifty-run stand started things for SA, with Tazmin Brits (23 in 35 balls, with two fours and a six) being the first victim. Eventually, despite skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s dominance, the golden arms of Shafali Verma (2/36) and Shree Charani reduced SA to 148/5.
Wolvaardt had a 61-run stand for the sixth-wicket with Annerie Dercksen (37 in 35 balls, with a four and two sixes), which slowly started to rebuild pressure on India. Wolvaardt (101 in 98 balls, with 11 fours and a six) continued her red-hot form, bringing up her century after having registered 169 against England in the semifinal just a few days back. However, a game-changing spell from Deepti removed both set batters and had Proteas struggling at 221/8. She became the first Indian woman with a WC final four-fer. Deepti (5/39) eventually managed to convert it into a fiver, as India made history to win their maiden WC title by bundling out SA for 246 runs.
Renuka used to play cricket with boys: mother
As a child, Renuka Singh Thakur was passionate about cricket and she would play with boys of her locality with home-made wooden bat and balls made of cloth, her mother Sunita recalled.
Sunita also said that her late husband was a cricket lover who wanted Renuka to do well in the game.
“An ardent cricket lover, my husband wanted that one of the kids should take sports — or Kabaddi — and even though he is not with us, my daughter has fulfilled his dreams, said Sunita said on Monday.
“Renuka was always passionate about cricket and used to play the sport with boys since childhood. As a little girl, she used to make balls out of cloth and play with a wooden bat on the roadside.”
Renuka, who hails from the state’s Parsa village in Rohru tehsil in Shimla district, played a major role in the Indian team’s maiden World Cup title win.
The celebrations started on Sunday with family members cheering the falling of each of South African wickets. On Monday, the Thakur family has offered a feast to the whole village, celebrating the world cup victory.
“Play for the country and not for you today and win the World Cup,” Sunita told her daughter on phone before Sunday’s final match, in which India beat South Africa by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai.
“We are happy as our daughter has reached here today and we wish that all girls should go forward and pray to God to keep the youth away from drugs.”
Renuka’s father Kehar Singh Thakur, who worked in the state’s irrigation and public health department, died when she was just three. She played with the tattoo of her father inscribed on her hand.
“Kehar was so much into cricket that he named his first kid Vinod Thakur after Vinod Kambli, who along with Sachin Tendulkar was a star cricketer at the time when his son was born,” one of Sunita’s relatives said.
Sunita said it was Renuka’s uncle who spotted her talent and initiated her to cricket.
“My brother-in-law, Bhupinder Thakur saw Renuka’s talent and said that this girl has potential and it was with his support that Renuka got the opportunity to move forward,” she said.
Renuka’s uncle was a physical education teacher at the time and it was he who recognised her talent and sent her to Dharamshala cricket academy, from where her career began.
I performed exactly how I wanted: Deepti
Deepti Sharma, one of the star performers of the victorious Indian women’s cricket team, feels they were destined to end their long wait for an ICC a world title at home.
The win over South Africa on Sunday night came after years of disappointment and heartbreak.
Deepti starred with a five-wicket haul and a crucial 58 in the all important final. She took 22 wickets and scored 215 runs in total to earn the player of the tournament award.
“I am feeling really good, since the day we played the first game of the World Cup, I have performed exactly how I wanted to play as a senior player. There cannot be anything better than giving such a good performance in the final and lifting the trophy,” Deepti told.
On the long wait for a world title, she added: “It took us really long to win the World Cup, but what God has written for you happens only at the destined time and I think it was written to take place in India.
“I have so many good memories of DY Patil Stadium as we have won all the series here. We were very positive as a team, and whatever the result might be we will play as a team.
“We wanted to win it as this was happening in India and we had to win this as a team. Every ball we were feeling like this game will end soon, and the result will be in our favour, and now that wait has come to an end.” (PTI)
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