Indian all-rounder or cricketer Sneh Rana hailed International Cricket Council (ICC) President Jay Shah for introducing marked transformations in the women's cricket ecosystem.
Hailing the former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, Rana claimed that the Shah and the Indian sporting body deserve immense credit for bringing in measures to boost women's cricket significantly.
Sneh Rana opens up on Jay Shah's role in bringing women's cricket forward
Rana, a highly skilled and utility all-rounder across formats, opined that the 37-year-old's decision to bring pay parity, arranging regular series in women's cricket, unlike before, and formation of the Women's Premier League (WPL) has helped them significantly. When asked at what point she felt she was receiving the recognition after years of struggle, the 32-year-old stated while speaking at the We Women Want Conclave & Shakti Awards 2026 in Delhi:
"There was no sudden feeling of recognition. Our veteran cricketers sowed the seeds of everything over the years. I'll definitely say that when India became the finalist in 2017 World Cup, I feel the changes began from there. I'll mention one name - Jay Shah sir. He has done so much to bring women's cricket forward and of course, the BCCI. So, the biggest thanks go to him, bringing changes in pay parity, back-to-back women's series is happening that didn't happen before and the introduction of the WPL. There have been so many changes but I feel it all started from 2017 World Cup."
It was during the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 that the ICC offered a total prize pool of $13.88 million, which was three million more than that for men's during their recent edition of the 50-over tournament. Additionally, the WPL, which came into being in 2023, has allowed women's cricketers to enter uncharted territories when it comes to scoring quickly and facilitated the development of new players.
When will Sneh Rana next be in action?
On the cricketing side of things, Rana is expected to next be in action during the Women's Asia Cup, beginning on August 28 at the Dubai International Stadium. The Women in Blue are clubbed alongside Thailand, Hong Kong and arch-rivals Pakistan.
The Uttarakhand-born cricketer played a vital role with the ball in the one-off Test win against England at the Lord's Cricket Ground, taking six wickets as the tourists won by 270 runs.
