Equal match fee for men and women cricketers: BCCI

India's governing body for cricket, The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday made a landmark announcement, stating that the match fee for both men and women cricketers (contracted) will be equal.

In a tweet, Jay Shah, BCCI Secretary, confirmed that contracted women cricketers will earn the same match fee as their male counterparts.

"The @BCCIWomen cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the Apex Council for their support. Jai Hind," Jay said in a tweet.

This decision comes just months after BCCI decided that the first season of the women's IPL will be played in 2023.

Captain of the India Women's National Cricket Team, Harmanpreet Kaur welcomed the decision and called it a truly red letter day for women's cricket in the country.

Former Indian cricketer Mithali Raj, was one of the first to respond to the announcement, welcoming the decision. "This is a historic decision for women’s cricket in India! The pay equity policy along with the WIPL next year, we are ushering into a new era for women's cricket in India," she said in a tweet thanking Jay Shah and the BCCI.

Earlier this year, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) had struck a deal with the country's players' association, which enabled women cricketers to earn as much as male players, while Cricket Australia (CA) is also working to do away with gender disparity.

(With agency inputs)