From lakhs to crores: India’s women cricketers set for new financial high with increased brand value

Published

4 months ago

November 8, 2025

Putting in the hard yards on field brought them the long-awaited World Cup trophy and now it’s time for India’s path-breaking women cricketers to rake in the moolah as their brand valuation goes through the roof.

Top performers like Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues can expect their market value to go up by over 50 per cent, which would translate into endorsement deals of over one crore individually, according to the management firms handling them.

And the brands lining up to make them the face of their campaigns could range from automobile companies to banks to FMCGs alongside the expected deals with athleisure, lifestyle, beauty and personal care and education corporations.

Tuhin Mishra, MD and Co-Founder of Baseline Ventures, which manages Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav, and Karan Yadav, Chief Commercial Officer of JSW Sports, which has Shafali and Jemimah on its roster, were both pumped up about the future of women cricketers in their responses to PTI queries.

“We’re seeing a steep jump: 2 times to 3 times in endorsement value for the top tier. Jemimah has moved from roughly Rs 60 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore+. Shafali has climbed from around Rs 40 lakh to Rs 1 crore+,” Yadav said.

“We are expecting anywhere between 25-55 per cent increase for the top players. For players who had standout moments in the World Cup, that number could potentially be higher,” asserted Mishra.

“We are also hopeful that this win really solidifies women’s cricket in the commercial market, where brands look at long-term partnerships rather than short-term campaign bursts,” he added.

Yadav said the increased connect with fans, as evident from the explosion in their social media engagements, has also contributed to the rise in the players’ brand value.

“This isn’t just because of the trophy. Their visibility, relevance, cultural reach, and audience engagement have exploded. You can see that in social metrics too.

“Jemimah’s following has doubled to 3.3M, and Shafali has grown by almost 50 per cent. The bigger shift is that brands now view them as year-round storytellers, not only cricket-season faces. So pricing is beginning to reflect that,” he explained.

Mishra said the women are primed to make another breakthrough by endorsing brands which were traditionally promoted by male players.

“We’re seeing interest across industries for women athletes in India like athleisure, lifestyle, beauty and personal care and education. But what’s encouraging is that top women cricketers are now also entering spaces that were earlier considered male-dominated.

“For example, Smriti has been associated with brands like Hyundai, Gulf Oil, SBI Bank, PNB MetLife etc which have traditionally been male dominated spaces/ industries, which shows that the market genuinely sees value in our women stars now,” he said.

Mandhana’s endorsement resume is a diverse one and it is only expected to grow given her red-hot form and affable personality.

“Women cricketers today represent authenticity and ambition, and that resonates across both metro and tier-2/3 audiences. So the range of brands is actually quite wide now.

“Some of the other long term associations for Smriti over the years have been Rexona, Herbalife, Nike, SG, Nestle Maggi, Volini etc. She has also been championing the cause of UNICEF for the last few years,” Mishra said.

Yadav felt the mix of performance, family audience appeal, and the larger message that they represent, which is “confidence, equality, and modern Indian womanhood”, has made them attractive ambassadors.

“Historically, fitness and sportswear led the way. Now we’re seeing real demand from categories like banking and fintech, autos, beauty, travel, consumer tech, and digital-first brands,” he said.

“The win has shifted them from ‘promising’ to ‘mainstream’. I don’t think the idea is to replace male stars. The bigger opportunity is that the definition of star power is changing. It’s now about authenticity, purpose, and cultural relevance, not just stats.

“If the current trajectory holds, women cricketers could command 20-25 per cent of total cricket endorsement value over the next few years. That’s a real change,” he predicted.

The players, who broke bread with Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed by an interaction with President Droupadi Murmu after their historic performance, are also being showered with massive one-time rewards.

Tata Motors has announced that all the players will receive the first lot of its soon-to-be-launched Tata Sierra’s top model.

“The Indian Women’s Cricket Team has made the entire nation proud with their extraordinary performance and remarkable win. Their journey stands as a true testament to determination and the power of belief, qualities that inspire every Indian,” the company’s MD and CEO Shailesh Chandra said.

Related Topics:BCCI Harmanpreet Kaur Smriti Mandhana

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FIFA President Congratulates Jay Shah on T20 WC 2026 Success

Published

15 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Staff Reporter

FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah for the successful organisation of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Sharing a photo of himself holding the Indian jersey on his social media handle, Infantino also congratulated the Indian cricket team on winning a record third Men’s T20 World Cup title.

“Congratulations to the ICC and my friend Jay Shah for another wonderfully organised T20 World Cup. Many congratulations to India for another title. Having visited your wonderful country, I know how much this means to you,” Infantino wrote.

Earlier, in February, Gianni Infantino met Jay Shah in Milan, marking a massive crossover moment between two of the most popular sports in the world. After meeting Shah, Infantino took to Instagram, sharing a picture of himself with the ICC Chairman, hailing his work in cricket’s growth and wishing him luck as the sport makes a grand return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He had also expressed the desire for collaboration with Shah in their bid to “unite the world through sports”.

“It was my pleasure to meet @icc Chairman Jay Shah today in Milan. The outstanding work he has done to grow the beautiful game of cricket is exemplary. I wish him and everyone the very best as cricket gets re-introduced to the Summer Olympic Games in two years time. I also look forward to working together and collaborating as we unite the world through sports,” Gianni had said in his Instagram post after meeting Jay Shah in February.

Coming to the T20 World Cup, the tournament concluded with India defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final, held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, on Sunday. The victory made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).

Gautam Gambhir says Jay Shah stood by him

Published

18 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Staff Reporter

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir acknowledged the influence of those who helped build the system that continues to produce success for Indian cricket.

India created history by becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title and also the first side to win the tournament on home soil. India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to lift their third T20 World Cup trophy.

The India head coach thanked former BCCI secretary and current International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah for supporting him during challenging phases of his tenure.

And last but not the least, I have to thank Jay Bhai (Jay Shah) because not many people actually called me when I went through the lowest moments of my tenure whether it was after New Zealand or after South Africa series loss. The only person who actually called me was Jay Bhai, said the India head coach.

I really have to thank him for trusting me with this job because I remember very clearly that when I was given this role, I had no experience of being the head coach of any franchise or any team. Yet he still trusted me with the responsibility. So I have to thank him for that. And I think as long as people like him are there, Indian cricket is in very, very safe hands, he concluded.

‘Virtually unbeatable’ India win praise after third T20 World Cup crown

Published

22 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Staff Reporter

The cricketing world hailed white‑ball powerhouse India as they etched their name deeper into history with a third men’s Twenty20 World Cup title on Sunday, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad.

Opener Sanju Samson continued his prolific run ‌with a third successive 80‑plus score, earning him the player‑of‑the‑tournament award, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah delivered a remarkable.

“India’s formula is pretty simple,” former England captain Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports.

“A batting line‑up full of powerful hitters that will get you an above‑par score and ⁠a bowler in Bumrah, who makes a below‑par score probably enough. He’s an absolute genius, and when you combine those two elements, they’re virtually unbeatable.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit and former England cricketer Michael Atherton said India were worthy champions.

“India are more than a pre-eminent T20 side. They are the pre-eminent white-ball side at the moment,” he said.

“In the last few ICC global events before today they have won 30 out of 32 games.

“They are the strongest side in white-ball cricket.”

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen also praised India’s dominance, ‌lauding ⁠on social media the team’s sustained excellence in the format, while current and past Indian cricketers including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane took to social media to praise the team’s success.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar credited India’s success to structural strength and ⁠long‑term planning.

“India have proven they are thinking in the correct manner and they have given opportunities to the right people at the right time,” Akhtar said on ‘tapmad’ YouTube channel.

“The speed at which India is ⁠going and the way they are investing in their system, and also the way they respect their elder generation of cricket, is commendable.”

With India now holding three T20 World ⁠Cup titles, captain Suryakumar Yadav said the side would definitely aim to chase gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, when they will also target another T20 World Cup crown.