‘An idea whose time has come.’ Mithali Raj confident that pay parity & WIPL will be a game changer for Indian women cricketers in 2023

Mithali Raj, the former captain of the Indian women’s national cricket team, is batting for 2023 and hopes that the year ahead would change the fortunes of women in cricket.

Although women cricketers have made their mark as athletes, broken records, and even made headlines for their prowess, they have had to contend with the lack of visibility and lack of equal pay. Unsurprisingly, women in cricket have always been overshadowed by their male counterparts when it came to media coverage or impact on pop culture. There is hysteria, debates, and discussions, as well as ample media coverage when it comes to male cricketers, but not even a fraction of it is enjoyed by their female peers. Hopefully, the new year will improve the prospects of women in cricket.

Raj is optimistic that 2023 will be the year that changes all that. Taking to Linkedin, the cricket icon referred to two watershed events of 2022 that signalled that things are about to change for the better for women players. . One was the declaration of equal pay for equal work by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) in October and the second was the confirmation of Women’s IPL.
Under the new pay policy, all the centrally contracted Team India cricketers, irrespective of gender, were guaranteed equal pay. BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to Twitter to announce the new policy. He wrote, “match fees for both Men and Women Cricketers will be the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket.” Under the new system, women cricketers would get paid Rs 15 lakh per Test, Rs 6 lakh per ODI, and Rs 3 lakh per T20I, the same as their men counterparts.

Referring to this milestone, Raj wrote that this decision would inspire many young girls to choose cricket as a profession. “This move will inspire many more youngsters to take up the game without them worrying about its financial viability. It is a way of saying that this sport can sustain you, you can look after your family, and you can invest in your own training in terms of resources and facilities,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

Raj also celebrated BCCI’s decision to introduce women’s IPL. Earlier this month, the BCCI announced that a five-team tournament will be played in March 2023, right after the conclusion of the Women’s T20 World Cup on February 26. Lauding the BCCI’s decision, Raj wrote that WIPL (Women’s Indian Premier League) will give female cricketers a rare global exposure and also provide them an opportunity to learn from veterans who have already played for the IPL. “Our youngsters will have an opportunity to soak up the pressure and rub shoulders with some of the cricketers who have been there and done that,” she wrote.

Raj also has high hopes for the Women’s Under 19 World Cup series as it will provide a platform to up-and-coming female cricketers and give them a global platform to showcase their talents. “I think it will prove to be an important milestone in identifying and grooming women cricketers of the future,” wrote Raj.

Raj believes that women’s cricket is on the cusp of gaining national fame and becoming more mainstream. “The fanbase for women's cricket is larger than ever. The following and viewership of the sport are higher than ever. The financial stakes are greater than ever,” she rejoiced.

The ‘female Sachin Tendulkar’ is confident that women will be able to chart a prosperous career as cricketers, administrators, or broadcasters. However, they will need unconditional support from the authorities. In order to create a level playing field, women cricketers need to be given the same amount of guidance as their male counterparts. “Indian women's cricket is leaping in the right direction and it is time to support it, nurture it, and be a part of this magnificent transformation,” she wrote.