BCCI’s ₹51-Crore Gift and ICC’s Record Prize: How Much Will India’s Women’s World Cup 2025 Winners Actually Take Home?

India’s historic ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 triumph at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium has written a new course for the trajectory of women’s cricket - both on and off the field. The emphatic 52-run victory over South Africa not only secured the team’s maiden world title but also delivered a financial windfall unlike anything ever seen before in any format of women’s sporting history in India.

With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing a ₹51 crore cash award for the entire contingent and the International Cricket Council (ICC) declaring a record USD 4.48 million (₹39.7 crore) prize purse, the combined amount crosses a whopping ₹90 crore. Yet, beneath the celebration lies a practical question - how much of this record-breaking prize money will actually go to the players after taxes?

From Navi Mumbai Glory to a ₹90-Crore Payday for India’s Women’s Team

While the trophy itself lifted the nation’s spirits and carved a new course and increased fanbase for women’s cricket in India, a truly transformative marker is the scale of monetary influx flowing into women’s cricket.

This shift is largely the result of institutional reforms that have unfolded over the last several years. BCCI’s decision to implement pay-parity in 2022, the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and ICC’s newer revenue-sharing model have collectively reshaped the economics of the women’s game.

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Within India, the BCCI’s ₹51-crore announcement is also being viewed as a benchmark for future tournaments, setting higher expectations for domestic tournament payouts. The internal sharing model which typically divides rewards among the playing XI, reserves and support staff means the entire contingent have more income tax liabilities to take care of.

Early estimates suggest that each first team player may cross the ₹4 crore bracket in gross receipts for this world cup event alone, solidifying their position among the highest-earning female athletes in the country. And thus, the discussion inevitably shifts to statutory obligations, tax treatment, Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), surcharge exposure, Goods and Services Tax (GST) considerations, and the broader regulatory framework that governs professional sporting income.

The Income Tax Framework: How Prize Money and Player Earnings Are Taxed

The taxation of sports income depends on both the nature of the receipt and the professional requirements expected from the recipient.

Government-instituted or government-approved awards are exempt under Section 10(17A) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. However, payments made by the BCCI or ICC do not qualify as government awards since they are commercial rewards from sports bodies and shall thus be subject to tax.

For professional athletes, such income is usually assessed under “Profits and Gains of Business or Profession.” This classification allows the deduction of legitimate business expenses such as training, travel, physiotherapy, and coaching costs.

If there exists a clear employer-employee relationship, the same receipts may be taxed under “Salaries.”

Private or corporate rewards

Like sponsorships, brand awards or bonuses are also taxable either as professional income or under “Income from Other Sources.” The classification is fact-driven, depending on the player’s contract with the awarding entity and the nature of the payment.

Computing Income: TDS, Surcharge, and Effective Tax Rates on Prize Money

While the entire prize purse announced by the BCCI and ICC may be spread across more people than just the starting XI, here’s a hypothetical situation on what the income tax liabilities of each starting XI player would be if they stood to be the only beneficiaries.

Once the ₹51 crore purse is distributed, each player’s individual income of around ₹4.6 crore would attract tax at the 30% slab rate, along with a 25% surcharge - which is applicable for income above ₹2 crore, along with a 4% health and education cess.

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This results in an effective tax rate of roughly 38%, meaning a potential tax outflow of ₹1.7 crore per player, leaving a net of around ₹2.9 crore, before considering deductible expenses.

The amount of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) also gets further complicated depending on how BCCI categorises the payout:

Section 194J (10%) may apply if it is treated as professional fees;

Section 192 applies if regarded as salary; or

Section 194B (30%) applies if the amount is characterised as “winnings from a game,” though this treatment is uncommon for mainstream sports tournaments.

Any TDS withheld must be credited in the player’s Form 26AS and reconciled with the Form 16/16A issued by BCCI while filing returns. The categorisation by BCCI is therefore crucial to prevent double withholding or misclassification at the assessment stage.

Beyond the Boundary: GST, Endorsements, and the Business of Stardom

The World Cup victory has also propelled the players into a new commercial league. Endorsement deals, brand appearances, and social-media collaborations by cricketers such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Deepti Sharma now attract GST at 18%, provided the player or their management entity is registered under GST.

While match fees and prize winnings are exempt from GST, endorsement and appearance income constitutes taxable “supply of services.” Many athletes therefore operate through Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) or private limited entities to manage GST compliance and avail input tax credits (ITC) on travel, training and equipment costs.

Much like any other eminent professional personality, these monetary benefits bring numerous off-field obligations often as complex as on-field duties.

From ₹1,000 Match Fees to Crorepati Contracts: The Rise of India’s Women Cricketers

Former captain Mithali Raj has often recalled how, during the 2005 Women’s World Cup, players received only ₹1,000 per match and travelled in general train compartments under the cash-strapped Women’s Cricket Association of India.

Everything changed after 2006, when women’s cricket came under the wing of the BCCI. The 2022 pay-parity decision to provide equal match fees for men and women was the turning point: ₹15 lakh for Tests, ₹6 lakh for ODIs, and ₹3 lakh for T20Is. However, a significant gender gap still exists in the central contract system which regards the annual salaries paid to players.

Playing by the Book: Compliance under Indian Tax Law

Both, the BCCI and players are required to accurately classify each receipt, be it salary, professional income, or winnings as this dictates their TDS liability and allowable deductions.

Furthermore, it is necessary to maintain documentation such as Form 16 / 16A and expense vouchers to substantiate income and deductions.

GST invoices and registration details should also align with endorsement agreements;

Additionally, Sections 194E and 115BBA prescribe special withholding and flat-rate taxation which may be applicable to non-resident players or earnings from cross-border tournaments.

Organisers are expected to issue clear payout statements clarifying whether the prize is gross or net of taxes, to prevent disputes that may arise at any later stages.

Conclusion

India’s World Cup victory represents far more than a trophy - it is a marker of the financial and institutional growth that Indian women’s cricket has undergone over the years, now taking centre-stage at the global level. The ₹90-crore payday underscores the sport’s evolution into a highly structured, lucrative and professional ecosystem, bringing with it greater regulatory and compliance requirements.

From ₹1,000 match fees to rewards in crores, India’s women cricketers' triumphant journey shall definitely open more doors for the dreamers.

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