$500 for Man of Series Dhoni! Gavaskar slams Aussie board

Melbourne, January 18 

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at hosts Australia for not honouring the Indian team with any cash award after its historic ODI series triumph, saying the players deserve a share of the revenue they generate. Man of the Match Yuzvendra Chahal and Man of the Series MS Dhoni were given $500 each for their performances in the post-match presentation. The players donated their prize money to a charity. 

The team was presented just the winners’ trophy by former batsman Adam Gilchrist. Gavaskar lambasted the hosts for not handing out any cash awards.  “What is $500? It’s a pity that the team has got only a trophy. They (organisers) earn so much money through broadcast rights. Why can’t they give good prize money to the players? After all, players are the sole reason for the sport getting huge money (from sponsors),” said Gavaskar.

“Look at the prize money being given away at the Wimbledon (Championships). It’s phenomenal. The players are key in generating money, so they must be rewarded handsomely,” he added.

At the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, even those who exited in the first round pocketed close to Rs 36 lakh, while the singles winners got richer by Rs 21 crore approximately. — PTI