BCCI more than doubles match fees for women cricketers and officials in domestic cricket
The BCCI has announced a massive pay hike for women cricketers and match officials in domestic cricket, more than doubling their match fees in a historic move. The decision, approved by the Board’s Apex Council, comes on the back of India’s maiden ODI World Cup triumph and aims to create a fairer pay structure across domestic tournaments. Senior women players will now earn between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 per day, while match officials will also see significant increases in their remuneration.
Senior women cricketers to earn Rs 50,000-60,000 per day
Under the new structure, senior women cricketers playing domestic tournaments will see a huge jump in their daily match fees. Players in the first XI for senior women’s domestic one-day tournaments and multi-day competitions will now receive Rs 50,000 per day, while reserve players will earn Rs 25,000 per day. This is a massive increase from the previous rate of Rs 20,000 per match day for playing XI members and Rs 10,000 for reserves.
For national T20 tournaments, first XI players will earn Rs 25,000 per match day, with reserves getting Rs 12,500. According to BCCI officials, if a top domestic women cricketer features across all formats during a full season, she can now earn anywhere between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 14 lakh.
New Match Fee Structure for Senior Women
Category | Format | First XI (per day) | Reserves (per day) |
|---|---|---|---|
Senior Women | One-day & Multi-day | Rs 50,000 | Rs 25,000 |
Senior Women | T20 Tournaments | Rs 25,000 | Rs 12,500 |
Junior women cricketers also benefit
The Apex Council has also increased remuneration for junior women cricketers. Players in the Under-23 and Under-19 age groups will now be paid Rs 25,000 per day, while reserves in these categories will receive Rs 12,500 per day. This represents a significant boost for emerging talent and shows the BCCI’s commitment to investing in the future of women’s cricket at the grassroots level.
Match officials see major pay rise
Match officials, including umpires and match referees, will also benefit greatly from the revised fee structure. For league matches in domestic tournaments, umpires and match referees will earn Rs 40,000 per day. For knockout matches, the per-day fee will range between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000, depending on the importance of the game and operational requirements.
As a result of this hike, umpires officiating in Ranji Trophy league matches will now earn around Rs 1.60 lakh per game. For knockout fixtures, they can expect to earn between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per match. This substantial increase recognizes the important role match officials play in maintaining standards across domestic cricket.
Match Officials Fee Structure
Match Type | League Matches (per day) | Knockout Matches (per day) |
|---|---|---|
Domestic Tournaments | Rs 40,000 | Rs 50,000 - Rs 60,000 |
Ranji Trophy (total per game) | ~Rs 1.60 lakh | Rs 2.5 - 3 lakh |
A step towards equality in cricket
The BCCI believes this revised pay structure will provide greater financial security and motivation to women cricketers and domestic match officials while strengthening the overall domestic ecosystem. The move comes at a time when women’s cricket in India is enjoying unprecedented success and popularity, with the national team’s World Cup triumph acting as a catalyst for positive change in the domestic structure.
By more than doubling the match fees, the BCCI has sent a strong message about its commitment to supporting women’s cricket and ensuring that domestic players can pursue the sport with better financial stability and recognition for their efforts.