The Truth Behind Indian Cricket’s Pay Gap Women Still Earn Far Less Than Men
Indian women cricketers face major pay gap despite equal match fees.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made headlines when then-secretary Jay Shah announced that women cricketers would receive the same match fees as their male counterparts, marking a landmark step toward gender parity. Both men’s and women’s players now earn Rs 15 lakh per Test, Rs 6 lakh per ODI, and Rs 3 lakh per T20I. However, as the Indian women’s team faces the risk of a second consecutive league-stage exit at the 2025 Women’s World Cup, following losses to South Africa, Australia, and England, comparisons with the men’s team, which reached the 2023 Cricket World Cup final unbeaten, have intensified. While match fees are equal, a deeper look reveals significant disparities in overall earnings.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) further advanced gender equity in 2025 by announcing a record-breaking prize pool of USD 13.88 million (approximately Rs 122.5 crore) for the Women’s World Cup, surpassing the USD 10 million offered for the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup. This milestone underscores global efforts to elevate women’s cricket. Yet, despite this progress, the BCCI’s central contract system highlights a persistent gap. Men’s cricketers are categorized into four grades: A+ (Rs 7 crore annually), A (Rs 5 crore), B (Rs 3 crore), and C (Rs 1 crore). In contrast, women’s contracts are divided into three tiers, with Grade A players earning Rs 50 lakh—half of the men’s Grade C—while Grade B and C players receive Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.
The most glaring disparity emerges in franchise cricket. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), top earner Rishabh Pant commands Rs 27 crore, whereas Smriti Mandhana, the highest-paid player in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), earns Rs 3.4 crore—nearly nine times less. This gap reflects the differing commercial scales of the IPL and WPL, with the former benefiting from a longer history and larger market. While the WPL, launched in 2023, is gaining traction, its financial ecosystem remains nascent, limiting earnings potential for women cricketers compared to their male counterparts.
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These disparities raise questions about the pace of achieving true financial equity in Indian cricket, especially as the women’s team strives to compete on a global stage. The equal match fees and enhanced World Cup prize money are commendable steps, but the gaps in central contracts and franchise earnings underscore the need for further investment in women’s cricket infrastructure and marketability. As the 2025 Women’s World Cup unfolds on home soil, the spotlight on the team’s performance also illuminates the broader challenge of closing the financial divide to ensure Indian women cricketers are rewarded commensurate with their talent and dedication.
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