New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a major hike in the remuneration of domestic women cricketers, bringing their pay on par with that of men. The revised pay structure, approved at the recent BCCI Apex Council meeting, marks a significant step towards pay equality in Indian cricket.
The decision comes shortly after India’s historic maiden Women’s ODI World Cup triumph in November, with the BCCI choosing to reward players by substantially increasing their match fees and benefits. Earlier, the board had already introduced equal match fees for senior men and women at the international level; the latest move extends the principle of equal pay to domestic cricket as well.
Under the new structure, women players featuring in One-Day and three-day domestic matches as part of the playing XI will receive ₹50,000 per day. Reserve players or those not included in the playing XI will be paid ₹25,000 per match. In the T20 format, players in the playing XI will earn ₹25,000 per match, while reserve players will receive ₹12,500.
The match fee for senior women players has been increased from ₹20,000 to ₹50,000. Previously, players in the playing XI earned ₹20,000 per day and reserves ₹10,000 in senior tournaments, while junior tournaments offered ₹10,000 for playing XI members and ₹5,000 for reserves. With the revised structure, senior women players who participated only in league-stage matches earlier earned a minimum of ₹2 lakh per season—this figure is now set to rise significantly.
The move has been widely welcomed as a landmark decision that strengthens gender equality in Indian cricket and provides long-overdue financial recognition to women cricketers at the domestic level.
