The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to take a long-awaited revision for their domestic match fees for the women’s cricketers in the next scheduled Apex Council meeting on December 22. The meeting, which will be held virtually, comes after the Blue Brigade’s triumphant ODI World Cup 2025 campaign and growing calls for the financial support of the players in the domestic events.

While there is parity of the payment at the international level, significant gaps continue to exist in the domestic structure. The BCCI has decided to address the issue formally as women’s cricket is gaining momentum. It has now become a key agenda item to be formally issued in the meeting.

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Another major point of discussion will be the annual central contracts for the men’s team. Attention has been put on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom have already retired from the T20I and Test formats of the game and are only focused on the ODI format. Their workload may also adjust their contract category.

BCCI to review Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s A-contract

In contrast, the all-format players such as the captain of ODI and Test formats, Shubman Gill, the premier all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, and the top-class pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, are only anticipated to feature in the A+ bracket, which reflects on the central roles across the formats of the BCCI.

The Indian board has also evaluated the proposal to revise the match fees for umpires and match referees within the domestic circuit. An update is also expected to be discussed for the board’s digital properties, fan-engagement platforms, and website upgrades. This will also be the first Apex Council AGM meeting since the change of administration of the board.

Mithun Manhas, who took over as the new president of the BCCI in September, will be present in the meeting along with Raghuram Bhatt, who assumed the charge as treasurer. Devajit Saikia and Prabhtej Bhatia were appointed the secretary and joint-secretary, respectively.

India’s vice-captain of the women’s cricket team, Smriti Mandhana, made her first public appearance since cancelling her wedding with the famous Bollywood composer, Palash Muchhal. She highlighted that over the past 12 years, the truth has become clear: there is nothing she would care more deeply about than cricket. 

India’s most flourishing left-handed opening batter, Smriti Mandhana, through an Instagram story, announced that both families had decided to call off the proposed wedding with Palash Muchhal. On December 07, she released a short statement on social media, requesting privacy and emphasizing that she wished to close the chapter.

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“I don't think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is the motivation that drives us. You keep all your problems aside, and that thought alone helps you focus on life. As a kid, the madness for batting was always there. No one understood it, but in my mind, I always wanted to be called a world champion.” Mandhana expressed during the Amazon Smbhav Summit at Bharat Mandapam.

Watch: Smriti Mandhana reveals reasons for cancelling wedding with Palash Muchhal

Mandhana, who will return to the national side for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, attended the ceremony with captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She vowed to give her best in the game to help the blue brigade win more major trophies in the future.

Watch the video here: 

Smriti Mandhana at the Amazon Smbhav Summit on her first love 'cricket'🗣️

"I don't think I love anything in life more than cricket. I always tell everyone that once you put on the jersey, you just keep all your problems aside and just be on the field because you have a… pic.twitter.com/nsNlKQEohC

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) December 10, 2025

“This World Cup was the reward for the battle we fought over the years. We were waiting for it so badly. I have been playing for more than 12 years, and many times things did not go our way. We visualized it before the final, and when we finally saw it on the screen, it gave us goosebumps. It was an incredible, special moment.” Mandhana shed light.

“We really wanted to do it for them badly. Seeing tears in their eyes made it feel like women's cricket itself was winning. It was a battle won for all of them. You always start an innings at zero, no matter if you scored a hundred before. And do not play for yourself, that is what we kept reminding each other.” The southpaw addressed.

Just weeks after his wedding to the Women’s World Cup 2025 winning cricketer of the Indian cricket team, Smriti Mandhana, was postponed indefinitely with no update on his resumption, the famous Bollywood music composer and filmmaker, Palash Muchhal, visited the Premanand Maharaj at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, his ashram in Vrindavan.

A picture of Palash Muchhal, wearing a mask, has gone viral on social media platforms. At the start of the week, Muchhal was photographed at the airport, making his first public appearance after the wedding was delayed due to multiple medical emergencies. It was set to be held in Maharashtra’s Sangli on November 23 but was postponed after Smriti Mandhana’s father, Shrinivas, was hospitalized.

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Shortly after that incident, Palash was also admitted to a hospital with viral symptoms and acidity issues. His sister, Palak, confirmed in a statement that the wedding had been put on hold, with both Palash Muchhal and Shrinivas Mandhana discharged.

Palash Muchhal visits Premanand Ji Maharaj for first time after wedding postponed

Palash was discharged from the hospital for a brief period, as he was in Sangli at that time before being shifted to Mumbai. Smriti, meanwhile, removed all the wedding-related posts from her social media accounts, which was the main act of the speculations. Different members of the two families also took the same step and clarified that the postponement is due to the health emergencies.

Mandhana’s teammate, Jamimah Rodrigues, who took a break for a couple of weeks from the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025, where she was featuring for the Brisbane Heat, decided to stay with the Indian opening batter in that tough time as the franchise revealed that Rodrigues won’t be returning to Australia for the franchise T20 league.

Smriti was the second leading run-getter of the Women’s World Cup 2025 with the help of 434 runs in nine innings at an average of 54.25 and a strike rate of 99.08 with the help of two half-centuries and one century at the best score of 109. She is expected to be back in action when India face Sri Lanka at home for a five-match T20I series.

The Indian women’s cricket team will play a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka next month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared the schedule on X on Friday, November 28.

The first two matches will take place at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 21 and 23. The last three T20Is will be held at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on December 26, 28 and 30.

BCCI said in a release, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announces the schedule for the upcoming IDFC FIRST Bank Women’s T20I series, as India hosts Sri Lanka for a five-match contest next month. The series will begin in Visakhapatnam before moving to Thiruvananthapuram for the remaining matches.”

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India Women Back in Action After World Cup Win

Since winning the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 final on November 2 in Navi Mumbai, the Indian women’s cricket team has not played any international match.

Sri Lanka will tour India for a five-match T20I series in December.

Sri Lanka Women’s Tour of India, 2025 (T20I Series Schedule)

🚨 News 🚨

Schedule for @IDFCFIRSTBank T20I series against Sri Lanka Women announced.

Details ▶️ https://t.co/jYCdTE8YhA#TeamIndia | #WomenInBlue | #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/wK4d5c0XLQ

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) November 28, 2025

Busy Season Ahead for India Women

After the T20I series, Indian players will play in WPL 2026. The league will run from January 9 to February 5 in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.

Both the Sri Lanka T20Is and WPL 2026 will help India prepare for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament will take place from June 15 to July 6 across seven venues in England, with 12 teams taking part.

India won their first-ever ODI World Cup this year, and now they will aim to win their maiden T20 World Cup title next year.

Indian women’s cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and filmmaker Palaash Muchhal were expected to tie the knot on November 23 in Sangli, Maharashtra, in a wedding widely followed on social media. However, the celebrations came to an unexpected halt after both families announced that the ceremony had been postponed due to health-related reasons.

Soon after the announcement, it was found that Mandhana had taken down all wedding-related posts from her Instagram account, including photos of the engagement and proposal. Online speculations about this began in earnest, with matters reaching a fever pitch following an anonymous post on Reddit claiming that two wedding choreographers from the Bosco group, Nandika Dwivedi and Gulnaaz, who were hired for the couple's wedding dances, were somehow involved in the matter

Though these claims were entirely unverified, they persisted and led to both choreographers undergoing extreme online scrutiny as their names trended across platforms. With rumors escalating, Gulnaaz addressed the issue through her Instagram story, strongly denying all allegations.

Choreographer Denies Rumours as Families Maintain Silence

“I’ve been noticing a lot of speculation and false claims going around about me and my friend Nandika, so I want to make it clear that we are not the people involved in this issue. Just because we know someone socially or have a photo with them doesn’t mean we are connected to their personal matters. Please let’s keep things respectful and not jump to conclusions. We appreciate your understanding and support,” Gulnaaz wrote on her Instagram story.

Choreographer linked to Palaash breaks silence amid rumours of him cheating on Smriti

Choreographer Gulnaaz Khan, whose name was linked with Palaash Muchhal, issued a statement after the musician's wedding with cricketer Smriti Mandhana was postponed indefinitely amid cheating… pic.twitter.com/XmjQQAiq1y

— Sandy (@Sandipfx1) November 28, 2025

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Her clarification came as social media continued to spiral with countless theories about the postponed wedding. Dwivedi has not released any statement and has made her social media profile private, further fuelling curiosity. Meanwhile, neither Mandhana nor Muchhal nor their families have responded to the controversy or addressed the deleted posts. According to sources close to both families and people involved in the arrangements, the ceremony was deferred due to a medical emergency. Apart from this confirmation, everyone has remained silent, and none of the rumors circulating online have been officially verified.

The left-handed opening batter of the Indian women’s side, Smriti Mandhana, and the famous music composer and singer, Palash Muchhal, are set to get engaged on November 23. The celebrations were viral around the social media platforms as they looked to start a new chapter in their career through a friendly cricket match.

The respective sides- Palash Muchhal heading ‘Team groom’ while Mandhana led the ‘team bride’ as they are joined by India team-mates, Shafali Verma, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh, and others. In one of the most exciting and anticipated tosses, Muchhal won the call against Mandhana with animated celebrations.

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The fixture unfolded in a relaxed yet competitive spirit, with the team bride taking the win, making it clear by their lively celebrations in the clip. In the celebrations, the stumps were lifted in the air, which offered an end to the playful contest between the two sides.

Watch: Palash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana play friendly cricket match on engagement eve

After the end of the game, the couple- Mandhana and Muchhal- shook hands in the middle and shared a brief hug. It added a different layer of emotion, which was fulfilled with some personal highlights. The latest event comes after a series of ceremonies leading up to the wedding, as it had also kicked off the pre-wedding rituals in a bright spirit.

they played cricket last night and team #bride won obviously 💅🏻 pic.twitter.com/nIXiQkXdDb

— IWCT WORLD CHAMPIONS🎊 (@mandyyc0re) November 22, 2025

Several clips of the ceremony have been shared on social media, which showed the presence of their team-mates- Shafali Varma, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Renuka Singh Thakur, and Radha Yadav, joining the celebrations. The group shared their dance on the floor and enjoyed the incredible moment. A day earlier, Palash proposed to Mandhana with a ring in the middle of the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, where India won the Women’s World Cup 2025 final against the Proteas.

Mandhana was excellent in the competition. The left-handed batter drilled 434 runs in nine innings at an average of 54.25 and a strike rate of 99.08 with the help of two half-centuries and one century at the best score of 109 runs.

It was a sweet and memorable surprise for the World Cup-winning opening batter of the Indian women’s side, Smriti Mandhana, when her fiancé, Palas Muchhal, who is a popular singer, proposed to her at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. It’s the same ground where the Blue Brigade won the Women’s World Cup 2025 final against South Africa earlier this month.

In a video shared by Palash, he is seen leading India's batter- Smirti to the centre of the pitch and giving her the biggest surprise by presenting her with a ring as Palash wrote ‘she said yes!!’ in the video he shared as it went viral across various platforms on social media.

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The clip started with Palash keeping Mandhana blindfolded, in the middle of the ground, and when she finally removed the blindfold, the opening batter found her longtime boyfriend sitting on his knee and proposing to her. She was delighted and wasted no time in accepting the proposal, as moments later, both Smriti and Palash’s friends rushed into the middle to celebrate the occasion.

Watch: Palash Muchhal shares heartwarming video of proposing to Smriti Mandhana in viral video

Smriti and Palash are set to tie the knot on November 23, as the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi, also extended his wishes to the star pair in a letter addressed to them. Smriti broke the news to the fans in a social media video, hilariously, when she had her two World Cup-winning teammates- Jemimah Rodrigues and Radha Yadav- beside her.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Tube Indian (@tube.indian)

“It is delightful to learn about the wedding of Smriti and Palash to be held on 23rd November, 2025. Walking hand in hand through every season of life, may the couple find strength in each other's presence and their hearts, minds, and souls be in harmony. May their dreams intertwine and grow together, guiding them toward a future filled with joy and deep understanding.” PM Modi wrote in his letter.  

Mandhana was the second leading run-getter of the Women’s World Cup 2025 with the help of 434 runs in nine innings at an average of 54.25 and a strike rate of 99.08 with the help of two fifties and one century at the best score of 109 runs.

Last week by Sunday, the entire India were in tears of joy and emotional after the maiden Women’s World Cup 2025 victory under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur as they got the better of South Africa in the final at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. The Proteas failed to chase down the target of 299 runs and fell short by 52 runs.

Jamimah Rodrigues, the number three batter of the Blue Brigade, who was the star of the national side for their semifinal victory against Australia in Navi Mumbai with an unbeaten century, arrived in Brisbane for the start of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), where he would turn up for the Heats, claimed- “Hello!! Finally, I did make it, can you believe it? I am good, thanks!! Very excited for today. Let’s go.”

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Rodrigues, who has smashed 650 runs in 29 innings of the WBBL at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 120.59 with the help of three fifties at the best score of unbeaten 75 runs, played the match-winning knock of unbeaten 127 runs in the Alysa Healy-led side, which helped India complete the highest successful chase in the Women’s World Cup.

Watch: Jemimah Rodrigues arrives in Brisbane to join Brisbane Heats ahead of WBBL 2025

Rodrigues has smashed an overall 2375 runs in 99 innings of the WT20Is at an average of 30.06 and a strike rate of 116.47 with the help of 13 half-centuries at the best score of 76. She joked about being scary while crossing the border for the WBBL, especially after what she did with the bat in the semifinal.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Brisbane Heat (@heatbbl)

“I was not sure if Australia would allow me to cross the border to come here after the semi-finals, but honestly, everyone’s been so warm and welcoming, and everyone is just so happy in general for the growth of women’s cricket has happened because of that win because we know it’s going to change massively not just in India but all over the world.” Rodrigues addressed.

However, it wasn’t a great start for the Mumbai-born, who failed for six runs in nine balls during the game, while Melbourne Renegades completed the chase of 66 runs through the DLS method by seven wickets.

Harmanpreet Kaur has had a superb time in the last week as she became the third Indian captain, along with MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev, to lift the ODI World Cup for the Blue Brigade. They beat South Africa in the final of the Women’s World Cup 2025 at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai as the Laura Wolvaardt side couldn’t complete the 299-run chase.

But the social media sparked controversy as an account on social media has accused Harmanpreet Kaur of being a lesbian tag. This happened after the right-handed batter, Harmanpreet Kaur, posted a story on Nupur Kashyap’s birthday on Instagram, as the social media account made a stunning comment.

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“She is her best friend, also her girlfriend. They are partners. 2023 birthday post, she wrote Happy Birthday, my whole world for Nupoor. After four hours, she removed it. Because people criticized her. That’s why now she wrote only the best friend world. Her real fans know about it better. Being gay is not a shameful thing. She has stayed with her (Harman) since before 2008. Now, they are living together.” Social media fans expressed on X (Formerly known as Twitter).

Social media sparks new controversy with shocking claim of ‘lesbian’ for Harmanpreet Kaur

Noopur Kashyap is the owner of Repeat7, a company specializing in sports management and athlete representation, where she serves as the talent manager for Kaur. She is responsible for managing Kaur’s career, including customizing strategies to build her brand and profile.

harmanpreet kaur Insta story. pic.twitter.com/GkBHDo2PUH

— Rakesh Choudhary (@realRakesh0) November 8, 2025

“Sharing their properties, lives, sadness, happiness, and all. Nupoor has stayed with Harman since before Harman’s publicity. She is her backbone. Now don’t ask how I know. I have followed both of them since 2018, and I also followed them using my mom’s Instagram account. That time I saw all their stories and all the posts since 2016. These words for Nupoor. Deserves respect.” The social media account has been added.

Harmanpreet wasn’t in great touch during the Women’s World Cup 2025 as she celebrated only two half-centuries against Australia and England in the tournament. She collected 260 runs in eight innings at an average of over 30.

I was today years old when I got to know that Harmanpreet is l*sbian😭. pic.twitter.com/oykFLlL7hJ

— mutual.stark (@mutualstark) November 8, 2025

India are still celebrating their maiden trophy of the Women’s World Cup 2025 under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur after they got the better of South Africa in the final at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. It was a special comeback from the Blue Brigade after losing three successive league stage clashes against England, Australia, and the Proteas to be in danger of getting disqualified.

Tata Motors, for India’s success, has taken a heart-touching gesture to present the World Cup-winning team with the first lot of the soon-to-be-launched Sierra SUV. Each member of the team will receive a top-spec Sierra as a recognition of their contribution.

See Also: [WATCH] "More than just a game..."- PM Narendra Modi congratulates India's women's World Cup 2025 winning team

“The Indian Women’s Cricket Team has made the entire nation proud with their extraordinary performance and remarkable win. Their journey stands as a true testament to determination and the power of belief, qualities that inspire every Indian.” Chandra expressed in a statement.” The MD and CEO of the Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Shailesh Chandra, expressed.

TATA to award World Cup-winning Indian women’s cricket team with Sierra

The new Sierra will be launched on November 25 and is likely to be offered with 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines, while the lower variants could get a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor. The external designer of the car is inspired by the original Model and features a bigger real mirror. Inside that, it gets triple screens, a four-spoke steering wheel with an illuminated Tata Logo, and an auto-dimming IRVM.

“At Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, we are privileged to present these legends with another legend, the Tata Sierra. This is our salute to their spirit and the pride they have brought to the nation - Two legends, One spirit, Infinite inspiration.” Chandra added.

“You all have done a very big job. In India, cricket is not just a game; it has become the life of the people. If everything goes well in cricket, the entire country feels good, but if there is anything wrong in cricket, the entire country shakes. I feel that you can be very motivational because you hold a great power of success in your hands.” India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, congratulated the team during a meeting at his residence.