Cricket in India is said to be a field that attracts a lot of viewership and that, of course, comes with money. But it hasn’t been the same case with women’s cricket, until recently. It’s still nowhere close to men’s cricket but things have certainly improved in the past couple of years.
Here are some of the top Indian women cricketers and their earnings:
1) Mithali Raj
Hailed as the Tendulkar of Indian Women’s Cricket, Mithali Raj is a living legend. She is the leading run-scorer in Women’s ODI history and also India’s highest run-getter in WT20Is. She is a star off the field too. Mithali has a Grade A contract from BCCI which is worth 50 Lakhs. Mithali’s endorsements are as follows:
• New Zealand based bat makers – Laver and Wood: 20 Lakhs
• She also endorses brands like Uber, Rio Tinto’s Australian diamonds.
• Mithali has also been a part of commercials for American Tourister and Royal Challenge.
• She has also promoted various brands on her social media handle like Allen Solly, So Good, NextGen Fitness studio, Fast&Up India
Mithali Raj charges approximately 20-30 lakhs for endorsements and her net worth stands at close to $1 million. (₹6,87,50,000)
2) Harmanpreet Kaur
The Indian swashbuckling batswoman was a promising talent from the start but she made it to the headlines when she scored 171 against the mighty Aussies in the World Cup semi-final of 2017. Since then, there is no looking back for the Punjab born woman. Though India lost the final of that World Cup, Kaur attracted many brands. She also has a Grade A contract from BCCI.
Premium tyre maker, CEAT signed Harmanpreet who was the first Indian woman to have a bat deal with the brand. She has also an association with ITC to endorse its fruit juice drink B-Natural. Harmanpreet’s brand value is at 10-12 lakhs per day for a commercial appearance and 40-50 lakhs per year to endorse a brand.
3) Smriti Mandhana
Another Women Cricketer getting a Grade A contract from BCCI. Smriti Mandhana first came on the scene when she smashed a double century against Gujarat in a One Day match. Gradually, the Sangli born made it big on the International platform after an impressive 2017 World Cup.
Since then, Smriti has been associated with various brands. In December 2018, she got associated with Alcon, a division of Novartis for their innovative product AIR OPTIX plus Hydra-Glide contact lenses. She also endorses Bata sport’s shoe brand POWER. The 23-year-old also has a lucrative deal with India’s largest bike maker Hero MotoCorp for endorsing their brand on her bat. She also has a tie-up with Red Bull. Smriti charges 40-50 lakhs per year for any endorsement. Her net worth is said to be between $1,00,000 to $1million.
4) Jhulan Goswami
Jhulan Goswami, the Indian ace bowler also has a Grade A contract from the BCCI. The 35-year-old is with the Indian Team for so long. She is the highest wicket-taker in Women’s ODI Cricket and the first bowler to take 200 ODI wickets. Her net worth is also approximately $1,00,00 to $1million.
5) Poonam Yadav
Poonam, the Agra born cricketer is a leg-break bowler. She has over 150 wickets in International Cricket. Yadav is also a recipient of the Arjuna Award. She has a ‘B’ Grade Contract from BCCI. She gets an annual 30 lakhs from BCCI for being part of B Grade contract.
Other women cricketers who are a part of Grade B contract are as follows:
• Veda Krishnamurthy
• Rajeshwari Gaikwad
• Ekta Bisht
• Shikha Pandey
• Deepti Sharma
Players who have a Grade C contract with BCCI get 10 lakhs per year.
Following players have a Grade C contract with BCCI :
• Ms. Mansi Joshi
• Ms. Anuja Patil
• Ms. Mona Meshram
• Ms. Nuzhat Parveen
• Ms. Sushma Verma
• Ms. Punam Raut
• Ms. Jemimah Rodrigues
• Ms. Pooja Vastrakar
• Ms. Taniya Bhatia
As women’s cricket gets further promoted in India, we hope to see female cricketers get paid better and crack more brand deals as they deserve.
Source: Times of India, Hindustan Times, kreedon.com, insidesport.com, businessstandard.com, IndiaToday, Quint.com
Stats and Information as on 31st October 2019
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