India, the host of the Women’s World Cup 2025, started their campaign impressively by triumphing over Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the initial matches. However, their journey took a downturn as they faced consecutive defeats against South Africa, Australia, and England. With four points from five matches, the Indian team now faces a challenging position on the points table.
Concerns have been raised by some fans regarding the parity in pay between the men’s and women’s teams as the women’s team’s performance declined. Notably, the Indian women’s cricket team receives equal match fees to their male counterparts, as announced in October 2022 by former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
Despite the equal match fees, disparities exist in the annual contract remuneration between the men’s and women’s teams. The BCCI has different contract categories for the two teams, with the men’s team having an additional category compared to the women’s team. Players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are in the highest-paid category for the men, while leading women players like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur are in the top category for women.
The pay gap between the central contracts is evident, with male players in the top category earning significantly more than their female counterparts. This difference is attributed to the higher marketability and success of the men’s team in major events compared to the women’s team, which is yet to secure a major ICC title.
The growth of women’s cricket is evident through initiatives like the Women’s Premier League (WPL) introduced by the BCCI, which has increased the visibility of women players. An enhanced focus on winning major ICC tournaments could help bridge the pay gap between the men’s and women’s teams, as highlighted by former Indian women’s team captain Anjum Chopra.
Chopra emphasized the importance of comparing with the best women’s teams globally, such as the Australian team, which receives equal pay to their male counterparts due to their success in ICC events. She encouraged Indian women cricketers to strive for similar achievements to attain equal pay and recognition.