The Indian women’s cricket team made history on Sunday as they hoisted the World Cup trophy for the first time. The victory also came with a significant prize pool — with the ICC and BCCI announcing a combined cash reward of Rs 90 crore for the players and staff.
The Women in Blue overcame South Africa by 52 runs during a thrilling match in Navi Mumbai on Sunday night — securing their first-ever World Cup title across both T20I and ODI formats. All-round performances from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma were the crowning jewels for the team in the title clash.
A 52-run stand between skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (20 in 29 balls, with two fours) and Deepti Sharma took India beyond the 200-run mark. A final flourish by Deepti (58 in 58 balls, with three fours and a six) and Richa Ghosh (34 in 24 balls, with three fours and two sixes) had helped India reach 298/7 in their 50 overs.
What was the ICC prize pool?
The team is set to pocket a record-breaking $4.48 million (approximately Rs 39.78 crore) after winning the World Cup trophy. The amount is part of the total tournament pool of $13.88 million (Rs 123 crore) announced by the International Cricket Council before the series. The amount marks a significant 297% hike from the $2.5 million purse available for the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand.
BCCI announces massive cash prize
The Board of Control for Cricket in India also announced a cash prize of Rs 51 crore for the winning team on Monday morning — encompassing all the players, support staff, and the national selection committee.
“ICC Chairman Jay Shah increased the women’s prize money by 300% last month, raising it from $2.88 million to $14 million….BCCI has also announced a prize of Rs 51 crore for the entire team, including players, coaches, and support staff,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI.
Speculative reports had earlier suggested that the sports body was planning to match the prize money if the Women in Blue won the finals. Senior BCCI sources had told PTI ahead of the match that considerations were underway to match the prize and bonuses given to the men’s team following their 2024 T20 World Cup win.
“The BCCI supports equal pay for men and women and hence there are lot of discussions that if our girls win the World Cup, the reward won’t be anything less compared to men’s global triumph. But it isn’t nice to make an announcement before they win the Cup,” a BCCI source had told PTI.
