Former India captain Mithali Raj, one of the most influential figures in women’s cricket, has opened up about the early struggles of Indian women cricketers — a time when passion, not pay, kept the sport alive. Recalling the 2005 Women’s World Cup, where India reached the final for the first time, Mithali revealed that the players received a match fee of just ₹1,000 per game.
Speaking on The Lallantop’s show ‘Guest in the Newsroom’ in July this year, Mithali shared how women’s cricket operated on limited resources long before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took over in 2006.
“We didn’t have annual contracts back then,” Mithali said in the interview, which has gone viral after India won their maiden Women’s World Cup title, beating South Africa in the final. “Even match fees weren’t a thing for us. I think when we became runners-up in the 2005 World Cup, we got ₹1,000 per match. We played eight matches, so we received ₹8,000 in total.”
At that time, women’s cricket in India was managed by the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) — an independent body that functioned without major sponsors or financial backing. The players often travelled in general train compartments, stayed in modest accommodations, and played purely for the love of the game.
“We didn’t get match fees because there was no money in the sport. The association itself didn’t have funds, so where would the players get paid from?” Mithali added.
The landscape began to change in 2006, when women’s cricket came under the BCCI’s umbrella. With the board’s support, facilities, contracts, and pay structures started improving steadily. Players began receiving per-series and later per-match payments, marking the beginning of a new era for the women’s game in India.
In recent years, the BCCI has taken several progressive steps to bring gender parity to Indian cricket. In 2022, the board announced equal match fees for men’s and women’s players — a landmark decision that ensured women cricketers now earn ₹15 lakh for a Test, ₹6 lakh for an ODI, and ₹3 lakh for a T20I, just like their male counterparts.
Mithali, who also led India to another World Cup final in 2017, has witnessed that transformation first-hand — from earning ₹1,000 a match to seeing the women’s team become professional athletes with world-class facilities and equal pay.
