Female cricket has seen tremendous growth recently in cricket viewership, but have the paycheques of these players increased? Reports say Women’s cricket contracts are still unfair, and these women cricketers in associate nations are still waiting for fair pay.
Recently, IPL 2025 recorded 253 million viewers on TV, 48% of them were women. These viewers have ways of earning through bets. Whether you’re looking for a or to bet on the women’s cricket tournament, betway can serve that purpose nicely. Women’s cricket contracts, however, are dependent on the number of games they play. Although BCCI announced recently that they were going to provide equal match fees to men and women players.
BCCI and the New 2024–25 Central Contracts for Women
While brands are creating female-centric strategies, female cricketers are facing discrimination. Central contracts that these cricketers sign, for male cricketers, the top category is 7+ crores, and for women, it’s 50 lakhs.
- Grade A: ₹50 lakh (Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma)
- Grade B: ₹30 lakh
- Grade C: ₹10 lakh
Women’s Match-Fees Now Equal to Men’s
India’s women now as men:
- Test: ₹15 lakh
- ODI: ₹6 lakh
- T20I: ₹3 lakh
Context & Comparison
| Category | Men | Women |
| Top Retainer | ₹50 lakh | ₹7 crore |
| Grade B Retainer | ₹30 lakh | ₹5 crore |
| Grade C Retainer | ₹10 lakh | ₹1 crore |
| Test Match Fee | ₹15 lakh | ₹15 lakh |
| ODI Match Fee | ₹6 lakh | ₹6 lakh |
| T20I Match Fee | ₹3 lakh | ₹3 lakh |
Women’s Premier League (WPL) Business Opportunity
Commercializing the women’s game in the same manner as the men’s is certainly more difficult. Therefore, it’s critical to see things from a different standpoint.
Take England, for example. Take a look at the Women’s Premier League’s expansion in England in terms of the number of spectators, deals, and value. After that, consider how England’s victory in the Euros this summer is a direct result. Women’s sports are just discussed more.
The main difference between the Women’s IPL and Men’s IPL is that it was easier to commercialise and make money right from the word go. In the case of women’s cricket, it is a little bit of an unknown territory.
Virtuous Circle of Money in the Budget
The growth of women’s cricket in India will continue even if the women’s IPL doesn’t succeed for any reason, either this season or in subsequent ones. There would be money eventually.
Improved promotion of women’s cricket starts . More people start watching the games or attending the stadiums, which attracts big broadcasters. For the rights to air those games, broadcasters are prepared to pay more.
When advertisers get a whiff of this, because they want to reach the viewers of the matches, now you’ve got sponsors who wish to provide funds to the teams. That money reaches the players ultimately, which trickles down right into the grassroots level.
Conclusion: India’s Passion for Cricket
Women’s IPL can turn just as profitable as men’s, and the fact that these tournaments include international players to participate will further boost awareness. Indian women will become more capable as a result of the increased opportunities to perform under pressure and in front of large audiences. But the question is, will it improve the lives of women cricketers?
Loves all things female cricket