At the stroke of midnight, history was made as the Indian women’s cricket team lifted the 2025 Women’s World Cup trophy after a thrilling victory over South Africa. It was a moment of pure pride that united the entire nation in celebration. Amid the World Cup celebrations, an old clip of veteran cricketer Mithali Raj resurfaced, where she revealed the fees women cricketers once received before coming under the BCCI’s wing. It will indeed shock you!
Mithali Raj’s old interview reveals the shocking pay of Indian women cricketers in 2005
Amid the celebrations of India’s historic win at the 2025 Women’s World Cup, an old clip of former Indian captain Mithali Raj has gone viral on social media, and it’s leaving everyone stunned. In the video, Mithali opens up about the harsh reality of women’s cricket before it came under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). She revealed that there were no annual contracts or match fees at that time, something unimaginable in today’s era of professional sports.
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During an interaction with The Lallantop, Mithali was asked about the contracts and payments women cricketers used to receive back in the day. To this, she responded candidly, saying,
“Annual contract to tha hi nahi, annual contract to BCCI ke under hi aaya hai. There was no match fees, hume koi match fees nahi tha. (There was no annual contract; annual contracts came only after we came under the BCCI. There were no match fees; we didn’t get any match fees.)”
Her words shed light on how financially unrewarding the sport once was for women players, despite their hard work and international achievements.
Mithali went on to recall how, after finishing as runners-up in the 2005 Women’s World Cup, the Indian team was paid only ₹1000 per match. She said,
“If I am not wrong, jab hum 2005 runners-up the, when we came back after being runners-up in the 2005 World Cup, we were given Rs. 1000 per match. So we played about eight games. (If I’m not wrong, when we were the runners-up in the 2005 World Cup, after returning home, we were given ₹1000 per match. We had played around eight games.)”
Her statement highlights how little recognition and financial support women cricketers received during that time, even after performing on the world stage.
She concluded by explaining that things only began to improve once women’s cricket came under the BCCI.
“Wo to abhi aaya hai when we came under BCCI, to shuru hua per series, pe game and recently pay equity aayi. (That all started only after we came under the BCCI – that’s when payments began per series and per game, and recently, pay equity was introduced.)”
The resurfaced clip serves as a reminder of the long journey Indian women’s cricket has taken, from receiving a mere ₹1000 per match to now achieving equal pay and global glory.
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Here is the whole interview of Mithali Raj with The Lallantop
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BCCI’s landmark step towards pay equality in Indian cricket
The pay equality that Mithali Raj spoke about in her old interview is, in fact, a very recent and historic change in Indian cricket. It was only in October 2022 that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced equal match fees for both men and women cricketers, a milestone decision taken during its 15th Apex Council meeting. This meant that female players would now earn the same amount per match as their male counterparts,
While there were many critics who questioned the move, arguing that women’s cricket didn’t bring in as much revenue or viewership, there were also countless voices who wholeheartedly supported the decision. Fans, former players, and experts hailed it as a bold and progressive step that would motivate the next generation of women cricketers to dream bigger. The BCCI, standing firm amid all the noise, believed that equal effort deserved equal reward, regardless of gender.
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And as it turns out, doing the right thing always bears fruit. The women in blue proved this in the most spectacular way by crushing South Africa with a 52-run victory to lift the 2025 World Cup trophy. Their triumph wasn’t just a win – it was a statement. They etched their names on a cup that had long been dominated by England and Australia, showing the world that with belief, equality, and opportunity, Indian women’s cricket can conquer it all.
What are your thoughts on the payment that women cricketers once used to receive? Did you watch them lifting the World Cup yesterday? Do share your thoughts via the comments below.
