BCCI Retains Top Women Cricketers in Central Contracts for 2023

BCCI Announces Central Contracts for Women Cricketers

On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the captain of the women's team, Harmanpreet Kaur, along with her vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma, have been retained in Grade A, which is the highest tier of central contracts.

Pacer Renuka Thakur, all-rounder Jemimah Rodrigues, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, and opener Shafali Verma have successfully maintained their positions in Grade B contracts.

Notably, left-arm orthodox bowler Rajeshwari Gaikwad, who held a Grade B contract last year, has not been included in this season's list.

Newcomers Shreyanka Patil, fast bowlers Titas Sadhu and Arundhati Reddy, all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, and wicketkeeper Uma Chetry have received their first central contracts, joining Grade C alongside Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, and Pooja Vastrakar.

However, players like Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, Sabbineni Meghana, Anjali Sarvani, and Harleen Deol have not been awarded contracts this time.

In terms of financial compensation, women cricketers in Grade A earn ₹50 lakh in addition to their match fees, while those in Grade B and C receive ₹30 lakh and ₹10 lakh, respectively.

As the Indian women's team prepares for the ODI World Cup later this year, they face the challenge of securing their first global trophy despite having ample resources at their disposal.