In a landmark achievement for Indian cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur’s Indian women’s team clinched their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title in 2025 after a thrilling victory over South Africa in the final.
The country celebrated this win with pride and honour but beyond the cheers, one question stood out – how does this incredible win compare to the men’s World Cup victory last year, in terms of prize money?
India ended years of heartbreak by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. The women in blue, who had fallen just short in 2005 and 2017, finally lifted the coveted trophy. Batting first, India posted an impressive 298 for seven. Shafali Verma led the charge with a brilliant 87, while Deepti Sharma’s 58 added crucial runs. Smriti Mandhana contributed 45 and Richa Ghosh’s quick 34 powered India close to the 300 mark.
How much prize money does the women’s team win?
The historic victory brought the richest-ever reward for the Indian women’s cricket team. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia announced a Rs 51 crore cash prize for the players, coaches and support staff.
This comes on top of the ICC’s winner’s purse of $4.48 million (around Rs 40 crore). Together, the women’s team took home an astounding Rs 91 crore – a milestone in Indian women’s cricket.
How much prize money does the men’s team win in 2024?
To put this into perspective, the men’s team, after winning the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, received a much larger total payout. The ICC awarded them $2.45 million (roughly Rs 20.4 crore) and the BCCI added a massive Rs 125 crore bonus.
In total, the men’s team earned around Rs 145.4 crore – nearly Rs 54 crore more than the women’s side.
Comparing men’s and women’s prize pools
While the men’s event had a bigger prize pool overall, the BCCI’s decision to grant such a huge bonus to the women’s team signals a powerful shift. It’s not just a financial reward – it’s a statement about equality and recognition.
The Rs 91 crore package represents the highest-ever prize for Indian women athletes and a major step toward closing the gender pay gap in cricket.
The end of an era and a new beginning
The men’s 2024 World Cup also marked the end of an era, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retiring from T20 internationals and coach Rahul Dravid stepping down. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad has opened a new chapter for women’s cricket in India – one where victory, respect and reward finally shine together under the same bright lights.