India’s women’s cricket team created history on November 2 by winning the World Cup for the first time, and much of the credit goes to head coach Amol Muzumdar. Known for transforming the team’s mindset and strategy, Muzumdar built a perfectly balanced squad that went on to conquer the world. However, despite his pivotal role, the World Cup-winning coach is set to receive ten times less prize money than some of his players.

According to a decision by the Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday, three Maharashtra players—Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Radha Yadav—will each receive a cash award of ₹2.25 crore, while Amol Muzumdar will get ₹22.5 lakh. The massive difference in prize money has sparked debate over whether the coach’s contribution is being fairly recognized.

While players are the face of victory on the field, Muzumdar’s behind-the-scenes work has been crucial. Appointed as India’s women’s team head coach in October 2023, Muzumdar led the team to win the Asia Cup, strengthen their fitness and fielding standards, and dominate in bilateral series. His decision to introduce young opener Pratika Raval alongside Smriti Mandhana proved a masterstroke—Raval scored over 300 runs in the World Cup before being sidelined by injury.

Known for his calm demeanor and tactical sharpness, Muzumdar guided India through a rough group stage, where they lost three consecutive matches. Yet, under his leadership, the team regrouped to defeat Australia in the semi-final and South Africa in the final, clinching their maiden World Cup title.

Despite never representing India at the international level, Amol Muzumdar has been one of the most accomplished players in domestic cricket, scoring 11,167 runs in 171 first-class matches, including 30 centuries.