The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced an increase in the fee for women’s domestic matches during an online meeting of its Apex Council. Under the new proposed structure, the daily match fee for senior women’s tournaments (50-over and multi-day) will be raised to Rs 50,000 for the playing XI members and Rs 25,000 for reserves.
For senior women’s T20 matches, the revised rates will be Rs 25,000 and Rs 12,500, respectively. Similarly, domestic T20 match fees have also seen an increase, with the playing XI now set to receive Rs 25,000 per match day in national T20 competitions, while reserves will earn Rs 12,500.
The Apex Council has also raised fees for junior cricket players. Reserves will receive Rs 12,500 in ODI games, while players in the Under-23 and Under-19 divisions will earn Rs 25,000. The playing XI will get Rs 12,500 for T20 matches, while reserves will receive Rs 6,250.
Match officials are expected to benefit significantly under the proposed revisions, with a noteworthy increase in match fees for umpires and match referees in domestic tournaments. For league-stage matches, officials are expected to earn Rs 40,000 per day, with remuneration increasing during the knockout stages to between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 per day, depending on the importance and stage of the game.
This fee hike for domestic matches comes after the Indian women’s cricket team triumphed in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, beating South Africa in the final played in Navi Mumbai. This increase is a clear indicator of the rising status of women’s cricket in the country. With the Women’s Premier League (WPL) bringing financial gains for top stars, it is the right time for these benefits to extend to domestic players, attracting new talents and helping to identify and nurture talent at the grassroots level.