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The ‘We Women Want Conclave & Shakti Awards 2026’, hosted by Read Foundation, brought together prominent sportswomen including India’s first female F4 racer Shriya Lohia, former India captain Anjum Chopra, and cricketers Sneha Rana and Meghna Singh. The event celebrated women who are breaking barriers, challenging established norms and inspiring change across different fields.

During the event, Sneha Rana spoke about Jay Shah and thanked the BCCI for its efforts to promote women’s cricket, while also highlighting the importance of pay parity. She pointed to India’s run to the 2017 Women’s World Cup final as a major turning point, with the team’s runners-up finish helping spark greater interest and growth around women’s cricket in the country.

Sneha Rana Credits Jay Shah And BCCI For Women’s Cricket Growth

Sneha Rana reflected on the growth of women’s cricket in India during her appearance on the panel, pointing to the 2017 Women’s World Cup as the moment when the sport began to see a major shift. She highlighted India’s run to the final as a key milestone and said the progress since then has been significant, particularly in terms of opportunities and exposure for women cricketers.

Rana also credited Jay Shah and the BCCI for playing an important role in that transformation, specifically mentioning improvements in pay parity, the increase in women’s international series and the arrival of the Women’s Premier League. “I will definitely say that when the 2017 World Cup took place, and the India team became the finalists, that is where the changes started. And then, of course, I will mention one name, Jay Shah sir. He has worked so hard for women’s cricket, and of course, BCCI. So, the biggest thanks to him is that he has brought a lot of changes. He has brought changes in pay parity. And now, back to back, there are a lot of women’s series, which were not there before. And then, WPL coming up. So, a lot of changes have come, but the change has started after 2017.”

Sneha Rana Opens Up About Her Cricketing Idol

Sneha Rana opened up about the cricketer who has always held a special place in her journey, naming Sachin Tendulkar as her idol. She recalled how meaningful his support was when she returned to international cricket in 2021 after a five-year absence and made an impressive Test debut.

“My idol was Sachin sir. When I made a comeback after 5 years in international cricket in 2021, I made my debut in a test match and I performed well and then he tweeted about me. I was on cloud 9. He will always be special for me.”