Cash rewards rain for Men in Blue from states, pvt bodies

New Delhi: It’s not just a hero’s welcome that await the victorious Team India when they return home on Wednesday, there are rich cash awards too.

Many state governments and private bodies have announced rich rewards to the young team which earned India the world champion title at the Twenty20 World Cup.

In fact, money is raining heavy on Team India from the moment the team defeated Pakistan in the final match at Johannesburg on Monday evening.

While the BCCI announced a $2 million reward to the team members, cash awards have also been announced for individual members for their glorious feat at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

BCCI will also reward Yuvraj Singh with an additional Rs 1 crore for becoming the first batsman to hit six sixes in an over in a Twenty20 match.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has announced a cash incentive of Rs 10 lakh each for Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma, both hailing from Mumbai, for playing an integral part in India's success in South Africa.

“Maharashtra is proud of the performance of our boys. They have brought laurels to the state,” he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has announced that her Government would give cash award of Rs 5 lakh each to Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, members of the Twenty20 World Cup winning Indian cricket team.

Gambhir and Sehwag have been chosen for the award as both of them, hailing from Delhi, contributed substantially to India's performance in the Twenty20 World Cup and brought laurels for the country and the Indian team, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

"All Delhiites are proud of these two players, who played exceptionally well and helped in clinching championship in South Africa," Dikshit said, adding that ''the people of Delhi are rejoiced with the performance of the 'Men In Blue'."

R P Singh, one of the stars of Indian victory in Twenty20 World Cup final, will be the first recepient of coveted ‘Kanshiram International Sports Award’ instituted by the Uttar Pradesh government.

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Singh will receive Rs 10 lakh in cash and a citation from the UP government as mark of recognition for his brilliant performance during 22-day inaugural T20 World Cup, especially in the

final, UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has announced an award of Rs 5 lakh each for Venkatesh Prasad, the bowling coach of the team, and Robin Uthappa.

The President of Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana Rashtriya Samiti has announced a rewards of Rs 1,16,000 each to Dhoni, Irfan Pathan and Gautam Gambhir.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has announced a cash reward of Rs 21 lakh for Joginder Sharma for his performance in the inaugural Twenty-20 World Cup final.

“Joginder Sharma first got the wicket of Younis Khan and then the winning wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq, thus enabling India win the final match from Pakistan at Johannesburg in South Africa last evening,” Hooda said.

The Chief Minister said that Joginder Sharma took the crucial wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq at such a time when the match could twist in favour of Pakistan.

He also said that Joginder, who belongs to Rohtak district of the state, had created history and done the state and the nation proud. “This victory of the young Indian team has infused a new life in cricket,” he said.

Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has also won rich rewards for his cool and calm captaincy. He will receive the first ever ‘Jharkhand Ratna’ Award for his side’s spectacular victory against Pakistan.

The Jharkhand Government will confer the title to him, which would carry a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and a memento.

Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto told UNI that Dhoni would be conferred with ‘Jharkhand Ratna’ on the state's seventh Foundation Day on November 15.

Himachal Pradesh, who does not have any representative in the team, was also not behind.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup and offered a week’s free stay to all the members of the team in any of the HP Tourism Development Corporation hotels in the state.

(With agency reports)