Women’s franchise cricket has created new earning opportunities, but the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) follow different salary systems. The WPL uses auctions, while the WBBL relies on direct contracts and salary rules. These differences affect Indian, Australian and overseas players. Comparing budgets, player categories and payment methods explains how both leagues manage salaries.
WPL: Auctions and Player Payments
The WPL has a team purse of ₹15 crore, around AU$2.7 million, and squads generally contain 15 to 18 players. Teams can retain players, but their contract values are deducted from the available purse. The remaining money is used at auction. Franchises must balance retained players, new signings and their total budget.
Indian capped players are important to team building. Established names such as Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma can receive high-value contracts through retention or auction. The source lists the highest individual WPL salary at ₹3.50 crore, around AU$630,000, while Deepti Sharma is listed at ₹3.20 crore. There is no individual salary cap in this system, so auction demand shapes final values.
Uncapped Indian players usually enter with base prices between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh. These are starting prices, not guaranteed salaries. When several teams want the same player, bidding can increase the amount. Kashvee Gautam, for example, secured a ₹2.00 crore contract despite being uncapped. This shows how domestic players can earn large contracts through competition.
Overseas players register base prices up to ₹40–50 lakh and enter the same auction pool. WPL squads can include six overseas players, but only four can play in the XI, or five if the additional player is from an Associate Nation. The winning bid becomes the seasonal salary. Overseas contracts are finalized in Indian rupees, converted and transferred to home accounts, subject to Indian tax laws. Cricket Australia or the ECB may sometimes help process payments.
The WPL runs for around three and a half weeks. A bought player receives the full auction amount for that season, while an unsold player receives no WPL contract payment. The ₹15 crore purse must cover the squad, making auction planning important.
WBBL: Direct Contracts and Salary Rules
The WBBL team salary cap is about AU$772,466, roughly ₹4.3 crore, and squads generally contain 15 to 18 players. The league has scrapped the overseas draft and now uses direct negotiations for domestic and international signings. Multi-year contracts are allowed, giving clubs and players more certainty about salary and availability.
Australian players negotiate salaries with clubs, but rules protect leading domestic talent. At least three Australian players must be signed above the AU$53,000 marquee threshold. The top five earners must collectively receive at least AU$439,000. Teams must invest in leading local players while keeping money for the rest of the squad.
Clubs can sign up to three overseas players on their primary roster. They negotiate salaries directly and may offer multi-year deals, provided the full 18-player squad remains within the cap. The highest individual WBBL salary is listed as AU$133,000, around ₹74 lakh. Top overseas or marquee players may earn AU$110,000 to AU$133,000, while the minimum salary is around AU$20,000, approximately ₹11 lakh.
The WBBL also supports domestic players who play both the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) and WBBL but do not represent Australia. Cricket Australia structures their payments to average AU$151,019 annually, according to the source. The competition runs for about two months, including travel, training and team commitments, giving players a longer earning window than the WPL.
Comparing Salaries and Payment Methods
The WPL offers greater individual earning potential through auction competition, while the WBBL focuses on negotiated contracts and squad-wide salary rules. The source lists the WPL’s top salary at ₹3.50 crore and the WBBL’s maximum at AU$133,000. Their minimum figures differ: around AU$20,000 in the WBBL and ₹10 lakh as the WPL base reserve price.
Both competitions provide opportunities for domestic and overseas players, but salaries are decided differently. In the WPL, the final auction bid determines contract value. In the WBBL, players and clubs agree on salaries directly, while the cap and marquee rules guide spending. National contracts can add to league earnings. The source says leading international players can combine WBBL, WPL and national agreements to earn over AU$1 million annually.
Overall, the WPL is built around auction demand and a ₹15 crore team purse, while the WBBL uses direct deals, a AU$772,466 cap and minimum spending rules. The two systems offer different routes to professional income: one allows auction prices to rise, and the other provides structured contracts across a longer season.
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