New Delhi: When the World Economic Forum announced its Young Global Leaders Class of 2026, the name that caught the attention of cricket fans and diplomats alike was Jay Shah.
At just 37, the ICC Chairman has been selected among 118 rising leaders from 55 countries — a group that includes Olympic gold medallists, artificial intelligence pioneers, and business heirs like Isha Ambani. For cricket, it is a quiet but emphasis the sport is no longer just a game.
From Ahmedabad to Davos
Jay Shah’s journey has been anything but ordinary. In fact, he became the youngest-ever Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Moreover, he reshaped the organisation’s commercial and structural foundations. As a result, this came during a period of extraordinary growth.
His elevation to ICC Chairman in 2024 — again, one of the youngest in the role’s history — cemented his reputation as a leader who moves fast and thinks big.
Under his stewardship, the Indian Premier League has become one of the most valuable sports properties. The media rights deals struck during his tenure broke records that few in global sport could have predicted even five years ago.
More quietly, but just as significantly, he championed the expansion of women’s domestic cricket at a time when many administrators were still treating the women’s game as an afterthought.
“Shah’s selection underscores his growing influence in international cricket administration. He has focused on expanding the sport’s global footprint and positioning cricket for long-term growth across established and emerging markets.” — World Economic Forum
The Olympic milestone for cricket
Perhaps Shah’s most consequential achievement to date is one that will echo for decades: cricket’s return to the Olympic programme. After a gap of more than a century, the sport will feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, a development that Shah played a central role in securing. For a sport that has long been accused of insularity — geographically concentrated in a handful of former British colonies — this represents a genuine opening to the world.
The WEF’s official announcement acknowledged this directly, citing his contribution to bringing cricket back into the Olympic fold as a defining reason for his selection. It is the kind of achievement that transcends sport, touching questions of soft power, cultural diplomacy, and global brand-building.
Shah’s key milestones at a glance
- Youngest-ever BCCI Secretary
- ICC Chairman since 2024
- Record IPL media rights deals
- Cricket at LA 2028 Olympics
- Women’s domestic cricket expansion
- Largest-ever T20 World Cup (2026)
What the YGL programme actually means
The World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders initiative is more than an honorary list.
Members under 40 commit to a structured three-year programme. It includes executive education, global immersive experiences, and access to a network of over 1,400 alumni across 120 countries.
Past participants have built AI-powered environmental monitoring systems and digital skills programmes that have reached hundreds of thousands of people.
For Shah, membership opens doors that no cricket title alone can unlock. It places him at the same table as heads of state, CEOs, scientists, and technologists who shape international policy.
In practical terms, this could mean faster pathways for cricket’s expansion into non-traditional markets — and a platform to make the case for the sport in rooms where sport rarely gets heard.
India’s soft power, made tangible
There is a broader story here, too. India’s rise as a cricketing superpower has long been understood. What is newer — and more interesting — is the way Indian administrators are beginning to occupy positions of genuine international authority, not just domestic dominance. Shah’s presence in this year’s YGL cohort is, in that sense, a marker of something larger than his individual career.
His selection arrives at a moment when cricket itself is undergoing its most ambitious period of globalisation. New leagues are being established across North America, the Middle East, and East Africa. The sport that once felt like the private property of a handful of nations is being actively sold to the world — and Shah is one of the people doing the selling.
its not just a milestone
Awards and recognitions are easy to dismiss. Lists multiply, and circles expand.
However, the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders programme carries real weight. It demands action, not applause, from its members.
Jay Shah’s next three years will be watched closely. Cricket administrators will look for leadership. Meanwhile, a global audience is just beginning to understand the sport.
