Pay parity's sparked a fresh, new innings

The 'turning point' for women's cricket in India owes much to BCCI's gender equalisation push. Since 2022, players have earned ₹15 lakh per Test, ₹6 lakh per ODI, and ₹3 lakh per T20I - on par with men. Now, after India's ICC Women's ODI World Cup triumph, stars like Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma have seen their endorsement fees soar by 25-100%, with brands lining up to sign them. Women cricketers, however, still trail men by a wide margin in terms of BCCI player contracts. Endorsement fees, likewise, remain a fraction of what male cricketers command. The expectation is that this picture could change. Just as it did after India's men brought home the ICC trophy in 1983. That it took over 40 yrs to replicate the feat for women speaks of a missed opportunity, given cricket's immense popularity in the country.

As audiences warm up to women's cricket, brands will feel quite at home keeping their marketing budgets within the realm of the sport. The events inventory also expands when the women's cricket calendar is incorporated. Given the game's popularity, the risk of cannibalising advertising budgets is not significant. The chances of Indian women gaining mastery over cricket are higher than in other sports because of the elevated financing available, making this the most promising springboard for sportswomen in the country.

More money chasing eyeballs for women's cricket ought to inject vitality into the game by encouraging more girls to take it up. Sports infrastructure will also adjust to changing consumer preferences, thereby levelling the field for women cricketers. There is already a substantial amount of international women's cricket, and Indian players will have ample opportunity to benchmark themselves globally. If the trajectory of women's cricket mirrors that of the men's game, India may see further concentration in sports. But the demonstration effect of women's cricket could serve to bridge gender gaps across Indian sport overall.