BCCI Annual Central Contracts for Women Cricketers (2025 Updates!)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its annual central contracts (2024-25 season) for women cricketers. It marks another milestone in the growing recognition and empowerment of women’s cricket in the country. The revised contract structure ensures financial stability for India’s top women cricketers. And it also demonstrates the BCCI’s commitment to promoting gender equality and rewarding excellence.
Let’s take a closer look at the updated contracts, grade-wise salaries, comparison with men’s salaries and what this means for the future of women’s cricket in India.
BCCI’s Central Contract Structure (2024-25 Season)
The BCCI’s central contracts operate as an annual retainership model designed to provide players with a fixed salary. For women cricketers, these contracts are divided into three categories:
| Grade | Annual Retainership (₹) | Players Included |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | ₹50 lakh | Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma |
| Grade B | ₹30 lakh | Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma |
| Grade C | ₹10 lakh | Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Titas Sadhu, Arundathi Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar |
This updated structure rewards performance, consistency and seniority. It ensures that India’s top cricketers are well rewarded for their commitment and contribution.
Match Fees: Equal Pay Milestone
In 2022, the BCCI introduced a historic equal pay policy, ensuring that both men and women receive equal match fees for international matches.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Updated Structure | This updated structure rewards performance, consistency, and seniority. It ensures that India’s top cricketers are well-compensated for their commitment and contributions. |
| Equal Pay Milestone | In 2022, BCCI introduced a historic equal pay policy, ensuring both men and women earn the same match fees for international fixtures. |
This parity in match fees is a landmark decision, making India one of the few cricket boards in the world to bridge this gap. It shows how progressive BCCI’s vision towards gender equality is, despite evolving overall contract values.
Key Women Cricketers and Their Earnings (2025 Overview)
Below is a breakdown of the estimated earnings of India’s leading women cricketers for the year 2024-25. It also includes BCCI retainers, match fees, WPL salaries and endorsements.
| Player | BCCI Grade | Annual Retainership (₹) | WPL Salary (₹) | Estimated Total Earnings (2024–25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmanpreet Kaur | A | ₹50 lakh | ₹1.8 crore (Mumbai Indians) | ₹25 crore (with endorsements) |
| Smriti Mandhana | A | ₹50 lakh | ₹3.4 crore (RCB) | ₹35 crore (with endorsements & ventures) |
| Deepti Sharma | A | ₹50 lakh | ₹2.6 crore (UP Warriorz) | ₹8–20 crore |
| Shafali Verma | B | ₹30 lakh | ₹2 crore (Delhi Capitals) | ₹11 crore |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | B | ₹30 lakh | ₹2.2 crore (Delhi Capitals) | ₹8–15 crore |
| Richa Ghosh | B | ₹30 lakh | ₹1.9 crore | ₹6–8 crore |
| Renuka Thakur | B | ₹30 lakh | ₹1.5 crore | ₹4–5 crore |
| Sneh Rana | C | ₹10 lakh | ₹1 crore | ₹2–3 crore |
BCCI’s Efforts Toward Equality & Recognition
The BCCI has been actively working to make sure women cricketers receive theopportunities they deserve. Some of the major initiatives include:
- Equal match fees for men and women across all formats.
- Inclusion of women in pension schemes for retired cricketers.
- Increased number of fixtures and international tours for women’s teams.
- Investment in grassroots and domestic women’s cricket through the WPL.
These measures indicate BCCI’s vision to elevate Indian women’s cricket to global prominence, both on and off the field.
BCCI’s Pension Scheme for Women Cricketers
In a move widely praised by former players, BCCI revised its pension policy in 2022 to support retired women cricketers.
| Category | Monthly Pension (₹) |
|---|---|
| International Women Players | ₹52,500 |
| Domestic (Pre-2003) Players | ₹45,000 |
| Women Test Players (25+ Matches, pre-1993) | ₹70,000 |
| 50–74 Matches (till 2004) | ₹45,000 |
| 75+ Matches (till 2004) | ₹52,500 |
This scheme has been appreciated by old and current players alike. This is because it recognizes the contributions of those who paved the way for today’s cricketing stars.
Impact of ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Win
Under Kaur’s captaincy, India recently won the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, which has further strengthened demands for improved pay equity and recognition. The performances of Shafali Verma, Deepti etc. have rekindled national pride and increased fan engagement. Following this win, the BCCI announced a prize money of ₹51 crore for the team, a symbol of appreciation and progress for women’s cricket in India.
Legacy & Future of Women’s Central Contracts
The current BCCI central contract is not just about salary as it represents the foundation of a legacy.
Legends like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami laid the foundation of professionalism in women’s cricket. The current generation, led by Harmanpreet and Smriti, is redefining the standards with great enthusiasm.
Looking ahead, these contracts make sure that:
- Young talents are financially secure and motivated.
- Top players are rewarded for consistent performance.
- Women’s cricket continues to rise commercially and competitively.
As India’s women cricketers dominate both international stages and leagues like the WPL. Also, their legacy continues to inspire millions of young girls across the country.
Read More: How Many Countries Play Cricket In The World (Top List)
Conclusion
The BCCI Annual Central Contract (2025) for women cricketers reflects the growing era of professionalism. While pay gaps still exist, initiatives like equal match fees, WPL and pensions have created a women’s cricket ecosystem.
Led by stars like Kaur, Smriti and Shafali, Indian women’s cricket stands on the cusp of a golden generation. This is a generation that represents a balance of pride, development and gender equality in every sense.
FAQs: Questions & Answers
Q1. What are the salary grades for Indian women cricketers in 2025?
The BCCI divides women players into three grades:
- Grade A: ₹50 lakh per year
- Grade B: ₹30 lakh per year
- Grade C: ₹10 lakh per year
These figures are apart from match fees and bonuses.
Q2. Who are the Grade A players in the BCCI Women’s 2025 contracts?
Grade A includes India’s most consistent and senior players, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma. All of them have played a vital role in the team’s World Cup success.
Q3. Do women cricketers now earn equal match fees as men?
Yes. Since 2022, BCCI has implemented equal match fees for both genders:
- ₹15 lakh for Tests
- ₹6 lakh for ODIs
- ₹3 lakh for T20Is
However, annual retainerships still differ significantly.
Q4. Why do men earn higher retainerships than women?
Men’s teams play a higher number of matches each year and generate more broadcasting revenue. However, the BCCI is committed to closing this gap with the growing popularity of the Women’s Premier League.
Q5. How does the Women’s Premier League (WPL) impact earnings?
The WPL has transformed women’s cricket financially. Players like Smriti Mandhana (₹3.4 crore) and Deepti Sharma (₹2.6 crore) also earn through lucrative deals, sponsorships and global recognition.
Cricbites provides live cricket scores, simple cricket stories, player profiles, records, match facts and updates. The blog aims to provide simple cricket knowledge to fans who enjoy reading about the game.
