India is still buzzing after the women’s cricket team pulled off a dream victory at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. Harmanpreet Kaur and her squad finally ended decades of heartbreak, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in front of a roaring crowd at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. With that win, they didn’t just lift the trophy, they lifted the entire country’s spirits.
To celebrate the moment, the BCCI announced a prize of ₹51 crore for the team, a huge gesture that immediately got people talking about equal rewards in cricket. The number sparked comparisons with the men’s team, who received ₹125 crore after winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year, also against South Africa. While the men’s bonus was bigger, many fans saw this as a step toward closing the gap and giving the women the recognition they truly deserve.
Rewind to 2017, when the women’s team narrowly lost to England in the World Cup final at Lord’s. Back then, each player received ₹50 lakh for their efforts. It was generous for the time but what’s happened in 2025 shows how far women’s cricket in India has come, not just in performance but in value and visibility.
According to the BCCI’s Annual Player Retainership for 2024–25, announced in March, contracts are divided into three grades. Grade A which includes big names like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Deepti Sharma pays ₹50 lakh annually. Grade B — featuring players such as Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh — offers ₹30 lakh a year. Nine players including Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav and Sneh Rana fall under Grade C, earning ₹10 lakh annually.
For comparison, the men’s 2024–25 retainership, revealed a month later, has four grades with way higher pay — A+ players earn ₹7 crore, while Grade C gets ₹1 crore. The men’s side does play more matches, though, which naturally bumps up their overall income. Still, both men and women now get equal match fees — ₹15 lakh for Tests, ₹6 lakh for ODIs and ₹3 lakh for T20Is, a move that has been widely celebrated.
All in all, India’s World Cup triumph is not just about a trophy. It’s about recognition, equality and the women finally getting their due. From earning respect on the field to rewriting history off it, this win truly feels like a turning point for Indian cricket.
Proud of you, Indian women cricket team!
