Jay Shah Honored as Indian of the Year 2025 for Transformative Impact on Cricket

Jay Shah Receives Prestigious Award

New Delhi, November 28: Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has been recognized as the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2025 in the Outstanding Achievement category. This accolade acknowledges his significant influence in shaping the future of cricket on a global scale.

This award highlights Shah's leadership during a period of rapid evolution in the sport. His advocacy for robust governance, enhanced opportunities for emerging cricket nations, and a bold initiative to expand women's cricket have all played a crucial role in what is arguably cricket's most transformative era in decades. His groundbreaking efforts to reintegrate cricket into the Olympic Games have further broadened the sport's international reach and created new avenues for growth.

Shah has also been instrumental in fostering record levels of fan engagement and modernizing the commercial aspects of the game. His strategic decisions have enabled cricket to resonate with new audiences and adapt to shifting market dynamics while preserving the essence of the sport, as noted in a recent press release.

The evening included a thought-provoking discussion with Shah regarding global cricket and his aspirations for the sport. Women's cricket was a focal point, especially following the historic ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.

Additionally, the event celebrated the remarkable achievements of India's women's cricket team, who recently triumphed in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, head coach Amol Muzumdar, and key players from the squad were honored with the Indian of the Year Award in the Sports category. Their victory exemplifies a team that has risen to the occasion, met expectations, and redefined the stature of Indian women's cricket on the global stage.

Significant reforms for women's cricket in India, such as equal pay with their male counterparts and the establishment of the Women's Premier League (WPL), were realized during Shah's tenure as BCCI honorary secretary from 2019 to 2024.

In his acceptance speech, Jay dedicated the award to Harmanpreet Kaur, along with former cricketers Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj, who are prominent figures in Indian women's cricket. He emphasized major initiatives undertaken by the BCCI during his time as honorary secretary, highlighting the introduction of the WPL and achieving pay parity for women's teams as his proudest accomplishments.

“Harman, Jhulan, and Mithali are present here. I dedicate this award to all of you. I want to remind everyone of the progress made since December 1 last year, when I took on the role of ICC chairman. From October 23, 2019, when I became BCCI secretary, we made numerous decisions and reached significant milestones. We reinforced domestic structures, achieved pay parity, and launched the WPL. We secured a ₹50,000 crore media rights deal without any controversy. We constructed the National Cricket Academy (NCA) with 20 lakh square feet of facilities. Players now have access to pitches in Cape Town, Perth, Sydney, Lord's, and Melbourne. My favorite achievements were the pay parity and the WPL launch. The results speak for themselves. I congratulate Harman and the entire team for winning our hearts and competing fiercely with our men's team to secure ICC titles.”