The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally done what should have happened years ago. In a massive move, the BCCI has approved a sharp hike in match fees for women domestic cricketers, bringing their earnings almost on par with their male counterparts in India’s domestic circuit. It was already the case on the international level.
Women’s domestic match fees get upgraded
Under the revised structure, senior women cricketers will now earn ₹50,000 per day for every domestic one-day and multi-day match they play. That figure applies to all members of the playing XI. Non-playing squad members will receive ₹25,000 per match. In T20 competitions, the playing XI will earn ₹25,000 per match, while reserves will take home ₹12,500.
To put that into perspective, senior women players were earlier paid ₹20,000 per match if they were in the XI and ₹10,000 if they were on the bench. The jump is not marginal. It is transformational.
Junior women cricketers have also been included in the revision. They will now earn ₹25,000 per day for one-day and multi-day matches if they are part of the playing XI, with reserves getting ₹12,500. In T20s, the revised fee stands at ₹12,500 for players and ₹6,250 for non-playing members.
According to a BCCI note, a senior woman cricketer earlier earned around ₹2 lakh for an entire season if her team only played league matches. That figure is now set to rise substantially.
Umpires and referees also see a pay hike
The Apex Council meeting, held virtually on December 22, also approved higher fees for domestic umpires and match referees. All umpires officiating in league matches will now be paid a flat ₹40,000 per day, regardless of category. For knockout matches, the proposed fee ranges between ₹50,000 and ₹60,000 per day, depending on the match and tournament. The same structure will apply to match referees, ensuring consistency across on-field officials in domestic cricket.
The decision is made at a time when Indian women’s cricket is experiencing an extraordinary explosion. The BCCI announced a ₹51 crore cash reward for players and support staff after the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team’s ODI World Cup victory earlier this year
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