BCCI moved closer to bridging the pay gap between Indian women’s and men’s cricketers as BCCI secretary Jay Shah, on October 27, 2022, announced that the centrally contracted women’s players will get the same match fees as their male counterparts going forward.
Now the Women's cricketers will also get INR 15 Lakhs per Test match, INR 6 lakhs per ODI match, and INR 3 lakhs per T20I match they play, which is the same as the men's cricketers.
“I’m pleased to announce BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing a pay equity policy for our contracted women cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket,” Shah said in an official statement.
“The women cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts. Test (INR 15 lakhs), ODI (INR 6 lakhs), T20I (INR 3 lakhs). Pay equity was my commitment to our women cricketers and I thank the Apex Council for their support. Jai Hind,” he added.
The decision to bring women cricketers on par with men's cricketers in terms of match fee is in many ways a revolutionary decision. The decision comes just days after it was decided in the BCCI AGM that the first season of the women's IPL will be played in 2023.
