BCCI announce landmark pay hike for domestic women's cricketers, match fees increased by over 100%
BCCI has approved a major hike in women’s domestic match fees, doubling player payments across formats and increasing earnings for umpires and match referees, aiming to improve pay equity and strengthen the domestic cricket ecosystem.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a major step toward reshaping the financial landscape of women’s domestic cricket by approving a sharp increase in match fees for players and officials. The decision, cleared by the BCCI Apex Council, comes in the aftermath of India’s historic maiden ODI World Cup victory and reflects a broader push toward pay equity within the domestic structure.
Under the revised framework, senior women cricketers competing in domestic tournaments will see their daily earnings rise dramatically. Match fees, which previously stood at Rs 20,000 per day for playing members and Rs 10,000 for reserves, have now been raised to a range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per day, depending on the format and competition. This marks more than a twofold increase and significantly improves the earning potential of domestic players.
In senior women’s one-day competitions and multi-day tournaments, members of the playing XI will now be paid Rs 50,000 per day, while reserve players will earn Rs 25,000 per day. For national-level T20 tournaments, the revised rates stand at Rs 25,000 per match day for players in the XI and Rs 12,500 for those listed as reserves. According to PTI, a leading domestic cricketer featuring regularly across formats could now earn between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 14 lakh over the course of a full season.
The pay revision also extends to age-group cricket. Women cricketers in the Under-23 and Under-19 categories will now receive Rs 25,000 per day, with reserves earning Rs 12,500. This move is expected to provide stronger financial backing for players progressing through the development pathway.
Domestic match officials rewarded with pay hike too
Domestic match officials have also been included in the revised compensation structure. Umpires and match referees officiating league-stage fixtures will now earn Rs 40,000 per day. For knockout matches, their daily fees will range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, based on the significance of the fixture and operational demands.
With these changes, umpires handling Ranji Trophy league matches are set to earn approximately Rs 1.60 lakh per game, while knockout encounters could bring in between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per match.