Before Shah took charge as ICC chairman in December 2024, he played a crucial role in guiding modern Indian cricket. His stint as BCCI secretary saw structural reforms, historic policies and great commercial achievements. The most notable of these were the implementation of equal pay for male and female cricketers, the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the completion of a massive media rights deal worth INR 50,000 crore.
The award recognizes these contributions, many of which now serve as the foundation for India’s recent successes on the field, including the Indian women’s team winning the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup.
While receiving the award, Shah dedicated the honor to Indian women’s cricket and the players who inspired these reforms. With Harmanpreet Kaur, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami present at the event. He praised the women’s team for raising performance standards across the board.
Shah then reflected on his five-year stint as BCCI secretary. He stated that the decisions that changed Indian cricket started with strengthening the domestic cricket structure. Under his tenure, state and grassroots level cricket received improved facilities and better financial support, contributing to stronger talent pipelines.
An important part of his speech was the construction of the new National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The state-of-the-art facility covers more than 20 million square feet and includes pitches modeled on surfaces in major cricketing nations such as Australia, South Africa and England. Shah noted that these facilities have improved India’s overseas performance, providing players with a more realistic training environment.
However, Shah emphasized that two decisions that remain closest to his heart are pay parity and the WPL. These decisions, he said, were vital steps in giving women cricketers the recognition and platform they deserved. WPL’s success is already starting to pay off with India’s women now meeting global standards and enjoying broader professional opportunities.
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