As India basks in the glory of its 52-run victory over South Africa in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 final, an old interview of former captain Mithali Raj has resurfaced online. It is a stark reminder of the long, arduous journey made by the women in blue over the years.
There are nationwide celebrations, with the champions being showered with multi-crore cash prizes, diamond gifts and lucrative sponsorships. But Mithali's comments take fans back to a time when women's cricket in India lacked both recognition and financial support.
Recalling her early days in the game, Mithali had said, “I remember, if I'm not wrong, when we finished as runners-up in the 2005 World Cup, we were given Rs 1,000 for each match. We played around eight games in that tournament.”
That meant the players received just about Rs 8,000 for representing India in the tournament, a stark contrast to the multi-crore incentives and corporate endorsements being showered on today's World Cup-winning stars.
Mithali had explained how structural changes came slowly. “Things began to change only after women's cricket came into the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) fold, with payments gradually improving over the years, first on a per-series and later on a per-game basis.”
According to Mithali, annual contracts came much later and there used to be no match fees initially. She said the financial landscape of women's cricket began improving after the BCCI took steps to professionalise the game.
“It wasn't until about a few years ago that pay parity was introduced,” Mithali said. “Now, the match fees are the same for men and women,” she added, adding players earn around Rs 6 lakh for an ODI, Rs 15 lakh for a Test and about Rs 3 lakh for a T20 match.
Watch the clip here:
Mithali Raj: “When we became runners up of the 2005 Women's World Cup we got just ₹8,000 for the entire tournament ₹1,000 per match.”
November 3, 2025
These women cricketers have struggled a lot man. Thanks to Jay Shah because of him, women cricketers now get equal pay to men. pic.twitter.com/GuPnTBDW2wFrom Rs 1,000 A Match To Crores In Rewards
Mithali's words are a reminder that the road the champions tread today was paved by the struggles of their predecessors.
Just after the 2025 World Cup victory, the BCCI announced a Rs 51-crore cash reward for the entire team and support staff. The win also brought in a record-breaking $4.48 million (around Rs 40 crore) in prize money from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is the highest ever for any cricket World Cup.
Adding to the celebrations, Surat-based industrialist and Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia announced diamond jewellery and solar panels for the players. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared a Rs 1 crore reward for pacer Renuka Singh Thakur, while Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 1 crore for Kranti Goud.
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