The Indian women’s cricket team clinched their maiden world-cup title at the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Navi Mumbai, defeating South Africa women by 52 runs in the final
In recognition of this milestone, the BCCI announced a cash reward of ₹51 crore for the team, including players, coaches, and support staff
According to an official statement by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, this amount is “without touching anything from the ICC kitty” and is an independent reward by the board.
Breakdown and Significance
- The ₹51 crore reward covers the entire team setup: players, coaches, support and back-room staff.
- This figure is above the prize money the team receives from the tournament itself via the ICC. For example, the winner’s purse from the ICC was reported to be USD 4.48 million (around ₹39–42 crore) for this edition.
- The gesture is being hailed as a turning point for women’s cricket in India—potentially comparable to the men’s 1983 World Cup win in terms of impact.
Why This Matters
Boost to Women’s Cricket
This substantial reward conveys the BCCI’s commitment to elevating the women’s game in India—both in terms of recognition and financial parity. It sends a strong message to stakeholders, sponsors and young aspirants that success in women’s cricket will be rewarded.
Moral and Motivational Impact
For the players and support staff, such a reward acknowledges their years of dedication, hard work and overcoming challenges. It also sets a benchmark for future teams and tournaments.
Commercial & Sponsorship Implications
With increased reward and recognition, women’s cricket may attract more commercial interest—sponsors, broadcast deals and infrastructure support. This may in turn help professionalise the women’s game further.
National Pride & Legacy
The timing—winning the world cup at home in India—adds to the legacy. The reward amplifies the celebration and may help sustain momentum for long-term growth of women’s cricket in India.
Considerations & Looking Ahead
- Distribution details: While the ₹51 crore has been announced, the exact breakdown per player/support staff hasn’t been publicly detailed yet.
- Sustaining growth: The reward is a one-time recognition of success. The next step is how structural investments (grassroots, domestic leagues, facilities) are strengthened.
- Sponsorship & media: The visibility of women’s cricket now increases expectations—maintaining this will require consistent performance, coverage and commercial backing.
- Setting precedent: With such a large reward, future benchmarks may shift—leading to expectations on both performance and board support.
Conclusion
The announcement of a ₹51 crore prize for Team India by the BCCI following their first-ever Women’s World Cup win is landmark in many ways. It’s a recognition of historic achievement, a boost for women’s sport in India, and a signal of changing times. For the players, it’s validation. For Indian cricket, it’s a bold step towards closing gender gaps and elevating women’s cricket to a new level.
