India announces $15mn World Cup team prize

India’s World Cup-winning cricket team will share prize money of nearly $15mn, the national cricket board said yesterday, as a reward for their “talent, determination, and sportsmanship”.
India won a thrilling final by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday to clinch their first major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), announced the hefty reward, which will be shared between around 25 people – the entire team including coaches and support staff.
“I am pleased to announce prize money of 125 crores rupees ($14.9mn) for Team India for winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” Shah said in a statement.
If split equally, that works out to roughly $600,000 each.
“The team has showcased exceptional talent, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the tournament,” Shah added.
“Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and support staff for this outstanding achievement”.
The title victory comes after over a decade of heartbreaks in knockout matches of International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments.
The cash prize is in addition to the International Cricket Council record prize pool of $11.25mn for the tournament.
India, as winner of the competition, will share a pot from that of $2.45mn along with bonuses, which the ICC said is “the highest amount in the tournament’s history”.
South Africa will share $1.28mn for finishing as the runner-up.
After India’s win, the cricket-crazy country erupted with midnight celebrations as fans in blue Indian shirts on cars and bikes took to the streets across cities including the capital New Delhi.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on social media yesterday that he had spoken to the team, congratulating them on their “excellent skill and spirit”.
India’s Jadeja retires from T20 after World Cup win
India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja yesterday announced his retirement from T20 internationals, a day after he lifted the World Cup in Barbados. The left-handed Jadeja follows skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in quitting the shortest format soon after the seven-run win over South Africa in a thrilling final on Saturday.
“With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals,” Jadeja wrote in a social media post. “Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats.” He added: “Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, a pinnacle of my T20 international career. Thank you for the memories, the cheers, and the unwavering support.”
Jadeja, 35, played 74 T20 matches for India. He took 54 wickets with his left-arm spin and scored 515 runs as a lower middle-order batsman since his debut in 2009.
Both Rohit and Kohli announced their T20 retirements in press interactions after the title win.