The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a grand gesture to honor the Indian womens cricket team for their historic victory at the ICC Womens World Cup 2025. After the team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, clinched their first-ever World Cup title with a convincing win over South Africa, the BCCI announced a staggering cash prize of ₹51 crore. This amount is notably higher than the prize money awarded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) itself to the World Cup champions.

Indias triumph at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai marked a watershed moment for womens cricket in India, overcoming heartbreaks from previous finals in 2005 and 2017. The ICC set the prize money for the winners at USD 4.48 million (approximately ₹40 crore), which itself was a record increase of around 239% compared to the last tournaments champion earnings. However, the BCCIs bonus surpasses this figure significantly, demonstrating its commitment to recognizing and fostering womens cricket in the country.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia highlighted how the board aims to show its appreciation for the womens team’s competitive spirit and historic achievement by announcing this reward, which will be shared among players, coaches, and support staff. This gesture aligns with recent initiatives led by the ICC Chairman Jay Shah, including a 300% increase in the ICC Womens World Cup prize money, as part of a broader push towards gender pay parity in cricket.

The cash prize from the BCCI not only provides financial recognition but also sends a strong message about the growing importance and value of womens cricket in India. The womens teams success and the subsequent rewards mark a turning point, encouraging more investments in women’s cricket infrastructure, talent development, and domestic tournaments. Notably, alongside this prize, BCCIs budget for women’s domestic cricket for the 2025-26 season has been set at ₹96 crore. This record payout is still less than the ₹125 crore reward given to the mens team after their T20 World Cup win last year. However, it represents a significant leap towards equal treatment and incentives for women cricketers in India, reflecting both the growing popularity and competitive excellence of the womens game.

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