The Indian women’s cricket team has already made history at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 by making it to the final after a sensational win over Australia in the semi-finals. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India put on a record-breaking chase of 339, a performance that will be remembered as one of the defining moments of the team’s journey.
The win not only assured them their first appearance in the World Cup final but also guaranteed them a prize money of nearly Rs 20 crore. And now, with South Africa facing them in Sunday’s title clash at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, Harmanpreet and her team are on the verge of an even bigger triumph that could see them lift the trophy and double their earnings to an unprecedented Rs 37.3 crore.
EQUAL PAY PARITY
The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has set a new benchmark for the sport, both in scope and in principle. Tournament winners will take home Rs 37.3 crore, while runners-up will receive Rs 20 crore. These are record figures that represent a 239 per cent increase in the prize money for the winner from 2022, with Australia receiving around R11 million, and a 273 per cent increase in the runner-up prize money compared to the R5 million England earned three years ago. The two losing semi-finalists, Australia and England, will get Rs 9.3 crore each, a significant increase from the Rs 2.5 crore offered in the last edition.
The total prize pool for the 2025 FIFA Women’s World Cup is Rs 116 crore, almost three times the Rs 29 crore distributed in 2022 for the New Zealand tournament. What makes this year’s event historic is that it is the first time the ICC has introduced equal prize money for the men’s and women’s World Cups, fulfilling its commitment to pay equality between the sexes. The prize pool even surpasses that of the 2023 Men’s World Cup which had a total of Rs 84 crore.
SPREADING THE PRICE
Each participating team is guaranteed 2 million rupees for their participation this year, while the teams finishing in fifth and sixth place will receive 5.8 million rupees each and those who place seventh and eighth will take home 2.3 million rupees. Each win in the group stage adds an additional Rs 28 crore to the team’s total earnings, ensuring that even in the early rounds, consistent performances reap financial rewards.
Hailing the record prize money as a defining moment for women’s cricket, ICC Chairman Jay Shah said: “This four-fold increase in prize money is a milestone for women’s cricket and reflects our clear commitment to its long-term growth. Our message is simple: women cricketers need to know they will be treated the same as men if they choose to play the sport professionally, our ambition for women’s cricket competition is to deliver a global rise within the WorldCC and to inspire the next generation of players and fans.”
The initiative is part of the ICC’s wider pay parity policy, which began with the 2024 Women’s World Cup T20. The surge in prize money ensures that women cricketers receive the same recognition and incentives as their male counterparts, promoting equality and professionalism in the sport.
Held across five venues in India and Sri Lanka, the 13th edition of the Women’s World Cup has already been hailed as a milestone for women’s sports. By dramatically raising the stakes, the ICC not only ensured more competition, but also strengthened the commercial and cultural underpinnings of the women’s game. For India, a win on Sunday would mean more than just a world title – it would symbolize equality, excellence and the unstoppable rise of women’s cricket on the global stage.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
November 1, 2025
