Huge pay hike for domestic women cricketers, match officials

New Delhi: The BCCI has more than doubled the match fees of women cricketers and officials in domestic cricket, a move triggered by India's maiden ODI World Cup triumph and aimed at creating a more equitable pay structure across the circuit.

The substantial hike was approved by the Board's Apex Council.

As per the revised structure, senior women cricketers plying their trade in domestic tournaments will now earn Rs 50,000 per day, a significant jump from the existing 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 first XI will receive Rs 50,000 per day, while those in reserves will be paid half the amount at Rs 25,000 per day.

In national T20 tournaments, first XI players will earn Rs 25,000 per match day, with reserves receiving Rs 12,500.

If a top domestic women cricketer now features across all formats during a full season, she can earn anywhere between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 14 lakh, according to BCCI officials.

Match officials to get richer. The Apex Council has also increased the remuneration for junior women cricketers. Players in the Under-23 and Under-19 categories will be paid Rs 25,000 per day, while reserves will get Rs 12,500.

Match officials, including umpires and match referees, will also benefit from the revised fee structure.

For league matches in domestic tournaments, the proposed earnings for umpires and match referees will be 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, while knockout fixtures will fetch them between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per match.

The BCCI believes the revised pay structure will provide greater financial security and motivation to women cricketers and domestic match officials, while strengthening the overall domestic ecosystem.