ICC’s prize boost for women’s World Cup

The International Cricket Council has made a statement on the women’s ODI World Cup starting this month end by announcing on Monday that the winners will be awarded a higher cash prize ($4.48mn ~ approx. ₹ 39.41 crore) than what the 2023 men’s champions Australia took home ($4mn — approx. ₹35.19 crore).

- Rasesh Mandani

The total prize pot for the eight-team tournament to be played in India and Sri Lanka has also been raised, to $13.88mn (approx. ₹122 crore) from the $10 million (approx. ₹88mn) for 2023 men’s event.

The move signals a fundamental shift in the effort to promote women's cricket, going far beyond symbolic markers. The 2017 ODI World Cup was seen as a turning point merely by virtue of the final being played at Lord's. Until then, women’s World Cup matches were played in lesser known venues, a clear demarcation from the men’s game and underlining the distance they still had to cover. The 2020 women's T20 World Cup achieved another milestone with the India-Australia final attended by a record 86,174 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

With the latest move, women’s cricket stands equal in real terms.