From diamonds to solar panels: India’s World Cup champions showered with rewards

India’s World Cup champions showered with rewards (AFP Photo)

The Indian women's team lifted their first ODI World Cup trophy at the stroke of midnight on November 3, ending decades-long wait. In addition to the multi-crore monetary award announced by the BCCI, the historic victory not only signaled the beginning of a new era in Indian women's cricket but also sparked a wave of new prizes for the players.

On Monday, the BCCI announced a Rs 51 crore financial reward for the players, support personnel, and selection committee in recognition of the outstanding accomplishment. This award will be given to the Indian team together with INR 40 crore in prize money from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is 297% more than what Australia won in the most recent 50-over ICC competition and the biggest ever for any World Cup edition.

Govind Dholakia, a Rajya Sabha MP from Surat and the founder and chairman of Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt Ltd, has promised the players solar panels and diamond jewelry in addition to cash awards. According to a media report, Dholakia wrote to Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the BCCI, expressing his desire to install solar panels in each player's home and honor them with handcrafted diamond jewelry as a token of appreciation.

Individual monetary rewards have also been given to a few players. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, declared on Tuesday that Shimla-born fast bowler Renuka Thakur would get a financial incentive of INR 1 crore. Mohan Yadav, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, would also give Kranti Goud a similar sum.

Following India's World Cup victory, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) awarded financial awards for captain Harmanpreet Kaur, all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, and fielding coach Munish Bali. Bali will receive INR 5 lakh, while Harmanpreet and Amanjot will each receive INR 11 lakh. In order to recognize the three for their contributions to India's historic accomplishment, the PCA also disclosed plans to hold a special felicitation ceremony.