The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a cash prize of INR 58 crore for the India National Cricket Team that won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this month. Reacting to the reward, Sunil Gavaskar has raised an interesting question whether Gautam Gambhir opts to follow the path of his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, when it comes to accepting the prize.
During his tenure as head coach, Rahul Dravid set a notable example after India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024. Despite the BCCI awarding him an additional INR 2.5 crore, Dravid declined the extra amount and instead decided to take the same prize share as the rest of the support staff.
At that time, the BCCI had given a total prize of INR 125 crore to the entire squad after India ended an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy by defeating South Africa in the final. Now, with Gautam Gambhir in charge, Gavaskar has questioned whether he will follow the same principle.
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The former Indian captain also pointed out Gautam Gambhir’s silence on the matter, as the current head coach has not yet responded to the prize money announced by the BCCI. However, it is unclear how much head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support staff will receive as a reward from the total prize this time.
We haven’t heard anything from the current coach, Gautam Gambhir: Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar: “After the ICC T20 World Cup win and the Board announcement of prize money, the then-coach Rahul Dravid, ever the team man, refused to accept more than his fellow members of the coaching staff and shared it equally with his colleagues.”
The legendary batter added, “It’s been a fortnight since the BCCI announced the Champions Trophy rewards, but we haven’t heard anything from the current coach on whether he will also do a Dravid. Or is it that Dravid, in this instance, is not a good role model?”
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Sunil Gavaskar hails BCCI for recognizing the efforts of the players and coaching staff
Gavaskar praised the Indian cricket board for recognizing the efforts of the players after their unbeaten campaign in the eight-team tournament. India dominated the tournament, going unbeaten and defeating New Zealand in the final to secure their third title.
The former Indian captain also highlighted how the board has consistently rewarded players and support staff for their achievements. Gavaskar also hailed the BCCI’s decision to let players keep the ICC’s prize money, which further reflects its commitment to appreciating their hard work.
He also compared this to the 1983 World Cup, when each player from the winning team received INR 1 lakh as a reward. Gavaskar signed off by saying, “This is truly fantastic, as the Board, which is now awash with funds, is showing its appreciation for the efforts put in by everybody and rewarding them generously. The BCCI is also letting the players keep the prize money that the ICC announced for the winners, which is also a good amount each.”
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