The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has significantly increased the match fees for women cricketers and officials in domestic cricket, a decision driven by India’s first ODI World Cup win and aimed at establishing a fairer pay structure across the board.
This substantial pay raise was sanctioned by the Board’s Apex Council.
Under the new structure, senior women cricketers participating in domestic tournaments will now earn Rs 50,000 per day, a notable increase from the previous Rs 20,000 (Rs 10,000 for reserves) per match day.
For senior women’s domestic one-day tournaments and multi-day competitions, players in the starting XI will receive Rs 50,000 per day, while reserves will be paid Rs 25,000 per day.
In national T20 tournaments,
players in the starting XI will earn Rs 25,000 per match day, with reserves receiving Rs 12,500.
According to BCCI officials, a top domestic woman cricketer who plays across all formats during a full season can now earn between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 14 lakh.
Match Officials To Get Richer
The Apex Council has also increased payments for junior women cricketers. Players in the Under-23 and Under-19 categories will receive Rs 25,000 per day, while reserves will get Rs 12,500.
Match officials, including umpires and match referees, will also benefit from the new fee structure.
For league matches in domestic tournaments, umpires and match referees are set to earn Rs 40,000 per day.
For knockout matches, the daily fee will range between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000, based on the game’s importance and operational demands.
As a result of this increase, umpires officiating in Ranji Trophy league matches will now earn around Rs 1.60 lakh per game, while knockout fixtures will bring them between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per match.
The BCCI believes this revised pay structure will offer greater financial security and motivation to women cricketers and domestic match officials, while enhancing the overall domestic ecosystem.
(With inputs from Agencies)
