Indian Cricketers Salary Disparities: There is a difference; there’s always been a difference between men and women cricket teams under the BCCI when it comes to paying their players equally. Indian Cricket women’s pay grade is way below as compared to Men’s. The BCCI and almost every international Cricket board are also under the radar for this particular discrepancy.
Recently Cricket Australia closed this pay gap between men’s and women’s cricket by announcing they will pay every player equally regardless of whether they represent men’s or women’s, teams. That’s a great start to a fantastic opportunity for the cricketing boards from all around the globe to take it as an absolute necessity to pay their players equally, irrespective of their gender.
If we get into the officials’ minds, then it all starts with getting more fans, sponsors, revenue, and marketing of the game. Indian Cricketers Salary difference is there as the Men’s cricket is already filled with aspects that define their lavishing salary from their respective boards. The love of fans towards Indian cricket took BCCI to new heights and made them the world’s wealthiest cricket board. From arranging their own funds to becoming the richest embodiment globally, cricket in India has come a long way. Now it’s time to shower some love to our girls if that’s what it takes to get them equal pay.
There is a reason we are taking this initiative for women’s cricket on both international and national levels. Akanksha Kohli, a Karnataka cricketer, opened about the less pay in national cricket in 2017. She said, “I know so many girls who don’t spend their DA. They will not eat enough – they have to eat; playing a 50-over game in these conditions is not easy – saying I need to save up, I need to give it to help my family. They don’t play with a fresh mind, they are stressed, there’s the pressure of performance, thinking about the playing XI, thinking about the family, thinking about saving that Rs 500.”
We understand the point that cricket must be popular among the fans. There is no denying that men’s cricket is more popular than women’s cricket, but what’s stopping us from making an effort towards women’s cricket in India. We have some fantastic talent at the moment, and as per the reports, many female cricketers in India are waiting to showcase their talent on big platforms.
We will be entering the 17th season of the Indian Premier League, but still, we haven’t seen women’s IPL to date. In the past, cricket played by females in India has always struggled but watching the talent at the moment, it’s essential to take it as seriously as next to the men’s game. We are stating again and again that it’s just a matter of time that women’s cricket is going to hit it big in internationals by winning a major trophy.
Fun Fact: Do you know the highest grade for Indian women has a retainer of Rs 50 lakh while the lowest grade for men is worth Rs 1 crore?
Indian Cricketers Salary-BCCI Annual Contract for Indian Men and Women Players
| Period | Grade A+ | Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | |
| Indian Women’s Team | From 2020 Onwards | N/A | Rs 50 lakh | Rs 30 lakh | Rs 10 lakh |
| Indian Men’s Team | From 2020 Onwards | Rs 7 crore | Rs 5 crore | Rs 3 crore | Rs 1 crore |
But still, the questions arise: Can women’s cricket ever close the gap with men’s cricket? Can this Indian Cricket women’s pay grade be upgraded? Let us find out how Indian women can turn it around.
Indian Cricketers Salary –Addition of Star Names
A great way to close the gap between men’s and women’s cricket is the inclusion of more star names on the international and national level cricket from India. We have already seen the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Shefali Verma, Poonam Raut, Harmanpreet Kaur getting acknowledged by Indian fans for playing excellent cricket and representing the nation at the highest level.
The same was followed for men’s cricket, but it was big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, and others that brought respect, attention, and administration to the men’s game, and the same is required in women’s cricket. A great way to do this is to start a separate T20 league for women, as it will definitely give an extra boost that all the female cricketers need in India.
Indian Cricketers Salary-International Success is Crucial
Starting an all females T20 league can be helpful. But getting equal pay will become easier when our team starts winning high on the international level. Men’s cricket was already on the boom since the start of this decade, and being champions in 2007, 2011, and 2013 has taken men’s cricket in India on a new level. This statement is enough to show the importance of winning at the highest level.
In the last 20 years, we have seen our women perform as well, with two World Cup final appearances in 2005 and 2017 and again making the final of the World T20 competition in 2020, all positive signs for team India. Our international women need to keep up with this momentum and start winning these finals as we are sure it would help them catch up with the men.
Indian Cricketers Salary – Media Coverage Plays an Important Role
It’s a fact that women’s cricket in India gets less media exposure as we, the audience, are also to blame for it. These women are representing our nation at the highest level, and instead of watching the highlights let us cover the live matches and flood the stadiums as we do in IPL. The main objective is to get more women’s cricket on TV and into the media in general. The more support they get from us, the more attention the media will give to them.
Separate Entity to Lookover Women’s Cricket
We know that things will change, but there needs to be a proper plan to grow women’s cricket; a commitment to investing time and money in the international and national team can help reach these goals efficiently. If it would help, then establishing a separate wing for women’s cricket that can take independent decisions on its own would possibly be the best idea. Until then, or if not, then it’s BCCI’s responsibility to develop ways that affect women’s cricket getting the proper exposure on online sites, newspapers, and particularly in media.
Endnotes
We all know that the future of Indian women’s cricket is bright, and when it comes to Indian Cricket women’s pay grade, we will surely see some advancements in it. But when it comes to more fans, sponsors, revenue, etc., things will only turn out positive with time. This is all about how Indian Women can Reduce Disparities Between and Men’s and Women’s Pay Under the BCCI. We hope you liked this article. Until next time, Goodbye!