Mithali & Co in for a monetary bonanza

NEW DELHI: Despite losing the women’s World Cup final by nine runs against England at Lord’s on Sunday, the Indian board (BCCI) didn’t read too much into the defeat. Because the overall performance of the team in the World Cup was good enough to bring women’s cricket into the spotlight and could turn out to be a monetary boon for the players. Two days after announcing a cash bonanza of Rs 50 lakh each for every member of the Indian team, it is emerging that Mithali Raj and her colleagues could stand to gain a better hike in their match fees and other emoluments.
Before the quadrangular series in South Africa, where India defeated the hosts in the final, every Indian woman player got Rs 3 lakh for every series. But after the quadrangular series, each player made Rs 1 lakh per match. Even in the ICC World Cup, their match fee remained the same. The women's team also has a graded payment in two categories - Grade A and B with Rs 15 and Rs 10 lakhs respectively.
In comparison, a male cricketer makes Rs 15 lakh per Test, Rs 6 lakh per ODI and Rs 3 lakh for T20. Top Grade A cricketers like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja and M Vijay get an annual retainer amount of Rs 2 crore.
All that could change as the women cricketers have won the hearts of fans and also the CoA and the BCCI officials. “The board will surely look into the women's match fees and gradation payment issues post their superlative show in the World Cup,” CoA chairman Vinod Rai told TOI on Monday.
It is indicated that the board would come up with a much balanced payment structure for the cricketers when Kohli and his men get their contracts renewed later this year.
“The international women cricketers won't be the only ones to get a hike. Even the domestic players will be getting a hike and it would be discussed at the appropriate place for sure,” BCCI's acting president CK Khanna said while adding that the board would be working out the formula in an appropriate time and the payment structure would be much more balanced, unlike in the past.