BCCI Boosts Domestic Women's Cricket with Substantial Pay Hike: Impact on Player Development and Retention

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a substantial pay increase for domestic women cricketers, marking a potentially transformative moment for the sport in the country. This decision follows India's victory in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup and aims to strengthen the foundation of women's cricket by improving player compensation and incentivizing participation at the domestic level.

The pay hike more than doubles the per-day match fees for senior women cricketers from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000. Reserve players will also see their daily earnings increase significantly. For T20 matches, players in the playing XI will receive Rs 25,000, while reserves will get Rs 12,500. Junior women cricketers will also benefit, with match fees for the playing XI set at Rs 25,000 per day and Rs 12,500 for reserves. T20 match fees for juniors are set at Rs 12,500 for the playing XI and Rs 6,250 for reserves.

Previously, a senior women's cricketer could expect to earn approximately Rs 2 lakhs for a season if her team only progressed through the league stages of senior tournaments. The revised pay structure promises to significantly increase this earning potential, which should enhance the financial stability for players and encourage more women to pursue cricket professionally.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla emphasized the importance of this decision, stating, "We have more than doubled the match fees of India's domestic women cricketers. We are only carrying forward the initiative of (former BCCI secretary and current ICC chairman) Jay Shah, who introduced pay parity for India's international cricketers."

In related news, the BCCI has expressed concern over the Indian Under-19 team's performance in the recent Asia Cup final, where they suffered a heavy defeat against Pakistan. A review of the team's performance is planned, involving discussions with the team manager, head coach, bowling coach, and captain. This review will focus on identifying areas for improvement and strengthening the Under-19 cricket program ahead of the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The BCCI is also reportedly concerned about player conduct during the final, suggesting a need for improved discipline and sportsmanship within the youth ranks.

Editor’s note: This article was independently written by the Scoopliner Editorial Team using publicly available information.