Former India women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy has been elected president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), becoming the first woman to hold the post. Venkat Sundaram, who opened for Delhi in the 1970s and briefly served as interim head after Aunshuman Gaekwad’s passing last year, moves into the secretary’s chair.
Deepak Jain takes over as treasurer, while Jyoti Thatte and Santhosh Subramoniam join as member representatives. The board has also put forward Sudha Shah and Shubhangi Kulkarni—both former India women’s skippers—for the BCCI Apex Council and the IPL Governing Council respectively. Hyderabad’s V. Chamundeswara Nath will serve as the male ICA delegate on the BCCI Apex Council.
“This election marks a notable moment for the ICA, with two women now serving on the ICA Board, and for the first time, a female president and a female nominee to the IPL Governing Council – reflecting the Association’s commitment to inclusive representation and progressive leadership,” a release stated.
Rangaswamy, 71, captained India’s inaugural women’s Test side back in 1976 and has long lobbied for better conditions for retired players. Sources close to her say she is keen to focus on pension parity and medical insurance, though she accepts the learning curve will be “steep in places”.
Sundaram, 73, meantime is expected to lean on his administrative spell with DDCA to streamline day-to-day ICA operations. Observers believe the mix of experience on the new board could help the ICA push harder for voting rights inside the BCCI—still a touchy subject five years after the association came into being.
Plenty to do, then, but the early signs point towards a more inclusive and, fingers crossed, productive spell for the players’ body.
