
There is now a benchmark for the prize for the players in all the Junior and women’s cricket matches across the Boards of Cricket in India.
In yet another step that hints at a direction that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is heading to financially encourage and reward cricketing talent across the country.
The BCCI announced the player-of-the-match and player-of-the-tournament awards that, for the first time, would come with a cash incentive in all the women’s and junior cricket competitions at the domestic level.
This is a giant leap in the awarding and honouring of those who are really making a telling showing on the field of play, especially the young and female cricketers of the country.
More Recognition for Domestic Cricket
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, too, took to social media to announce the same. Shah highlighted the board’s concept: providing a better and more rewarding ecosystem for the cricketers.
“This is just the start which reflects our policy and commitment to rewarding excellence in Indian cricket matches at all levels,” he stated.
He said the new prize money would be given to the player of the match in all domestic cricket tournaments, including the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for senior men.
It also denotes a decision that mirrors acceptance on the part of BCCI to provide incentives to the players who perform exceptionally well in domestic cricket, more so in those categories that have otherwise got less attention, for instance, women’s cricket and junior cricket.
The move is aimed at incentivizing players to give their best and attract more talent to the sport at the base level.
Impact on Women’s Cricket

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The game of women’s cricket in India has been undergoing tremendous growth over the recent past. The viewership, fan following, and sponsorships have been recording rapid growth.
However, the fact remains that financial incentives for players have always been a step behind what was at stake in the men’s game.
Prize money for outstanding performances in women’s domestic tournaments should begin bridging that gap to an extent—recognition and reward that female cricketers deserve.
This could prove to be a fillip for the development of women’s cricket in India.
More young girls will start taking up the sport, knowing that their efforts will end in tangible rewards; with that, the talent pool for women’s cricket is bound to get deeper.
These financial rewards, more players who want to pursue cricket as a professional game will be attracted to it, thus culminating in further growth and professionalism in the women’s game.
Junior Cricket Boost
Introducing prize money into junior cricket competitions is the next initiative for developing interest in the growth of the next generation of cricket talent in India.
Junior cricket forms the bedrock on which future stars are built, and by recognizing the achievements of young players, the BCCI will ensure that enough motivation is provided for these players to continue improving and striving for excellence.
Recent Developments in Domestic Cricket
This announcement comes just after a spate of other changes in the domestic cricket scene in India.
Last year, the BCCI increased prize money for domestic competitions, including the most prestigious of them all, the Ranji Trophy, to astronomical levels.
This was the kind of money put on the winners of the trophy, which became, on its own, an amount of ₹5 crore—way higher than what it is today, compared to its inception a long time ago.
Also, the Irani Cup prize money has been increased to ₹50 lakh for the winners and ₹25 lakh for the runners-up.
Similarly, the prize money of the Duleep Trophy, another premier domestic competition, has been increased, with champions getting ₹1 crore and runners-up ₹50 lakhs.
For the Vijay Hazare Trophy, winners get a cheque of ₹1 crore, and the team finishing second gets ₹50 lakhs.
These prize money increases thus prove the commitment of the BCCI toward strengthening the domestic cricket structure in India.
By taking the domestic game to a more lucrative level, the BCCI wishes to further retain and nurture the talents available within the country so that those athletic contributors get due compensation for their labor. Thereupon, the conclusion:
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Reference: https://sports.ndtv.com
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