BCCI implements 'pay equity policy' to ensure men and women cricketers receive same match fee

In Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced equal pay for all contracted players, be they, men or women.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to Twitter to announce the historic development. He wrote, "I’m pleased to announce BCCI's first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing a pay equity policy for our contracted women cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket".

According to the current system, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. will be earning match fees of ₹15 lakh per Test, ₹6 lakh per ODI and ₹3 lakh per T20I - same as their men counterparts.

"The women 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," he added.

The BCCI in their last AGM in Mumbai had also announced the first-ever Women's IPL which will be held next year with five teams.

The women's team been performing to their best in the past couple of years. This year itself, the Women in Blue, won the silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games after losing the final against Australia. However, they made it up for it by winning the Women's Asia Cup 2022 after defeating Sri Lanka Women in the final.

Not just that, the Indian women's team also had a 3-0 ODI series historic sweep against England on English soil.