"Will inspire more girls to take up cricket": BCCI VP Shukla on pay raise for women domestic cricketers

New Delhi [India], December 23 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla hailed the move to raise the pay of women's domestic cricketers, saying that the move will inspire more girls to take up the sport and the standard of women's cricket in the country will improve as well.
BCCI has decided on a significant revision in the payment structure for women domestic Cricketers. BCCI has increased the fees for women cricketers from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 per day in domestic Cricket, according to a BCCI source.
India's 2025 ICC Women's ODI World Cup win has given a significant boost to Indian women cricketers, prompting the BCCI to revise its payment system. The board has more than doubled the match fees for domestic women cricketers.
Speaking on this to ANI, Shukla said, "BCCI has taken a huge step to promote women's cricket. First, they brought pay parity with the men's team. The decision made yesterday is that in the domestic women's cricket, the match fees, which were Rs 20,000 per day, have been increased to Rs 50,000 per day, and the fees for reserve players, who were in the reserve team but did not play, have been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. This is a huge jump, more than a 100 per cent increase, which will greatly benefit women cricketers. It will inspire more girls to take up cricket, and the standard of the game will improve."
India won their maiden Women's World Cup title after beating South Africa in a thrilling final. Harmanpreet Kaur led the historic campaign. This also marked India's first-ever global title in women's cricket.
This enhanced rate, from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50000, applies to players in the playing XI. However, the BCCI's revised payment structure is not limited to the playing XI; reserve players are also receiving a significant boost. Reserves will now earn Rs 25,000 per day, up from Rs 10,000, providing better financial security for the wider squad.
Earlier, under Jay Shah's leadership as BCCI secretary from 2019 to 2024, the board embraced pay equality, expanded professional leagues for women cricketers, invested in grassroots initiatives, and increased civil visibility. This has empowered Indian women cricketers, who now inspire millions of girls worldwide to take up Cricket.
His tenure at BCCI was marked by bold reforms that have elevated women's sports both on and off the field. One of the most groundbreaking moves during his tenure was pay equality between male and female international cricketers, a decision which, in the long run, communicated an essential point about equality and respect for both genders.
This was followed by the launch of the professional women's cricket league, WPL, which not only Indian cricketers but women cricketers from around the world had long requested.
WPL's international exposure and reach are now providing women cricketers with a platform that not only gives them a wider audience but also offers financial stability and a competitive platform where they can hone their skills alongside players from across the globe. (ANI)