In a landmark decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced in October 2022 equal match fees for centrally contracted men's and women's cricketers. This means that Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and their teammates now receive the same match fees as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and the rest of the men's team: INR 15 lakhs for a Test match, INR 6 lakhs for an ODI, and INR 3 lakhs for a T20I.

The move was widely celebrated as a significant step towards gender equality in Indian cricket. BCCI secretary Jay Shah called it "BCCI's first step towards tackling discrimination" and a move into "a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket". Current and former players, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Mithali Raj, lauded the BCCI for this historic decision.

However, while the equal match fee is a welcome change, a disparity remains in the annual contract amounts. As of March 2025, the Indian men's team's central contracts for the current season have not been announced yet. For the 2023-2024 season, top male players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah were in the A+ category, earning INR 7 crore annually. Players in Grade A, B, and C earned INR 5 crore, INR 3 crore, and INR 1 crore, respectively.

In comparison, the highest-paid women cricketers, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Deepti Sharma, are in Grade A and earn INR 50 lakh annually. The other categories, Grade B and C, receive INR 30 lakh and INR 10 lakh, respectively.

The significant difference in contract amounts highlights the existing financial gap between men's and women's cricket in India. While the BCCI's move towards equal match fees is commendable, the conversation around equal pay must also address these disparities in annual retainers. Smriti Mandhana had previously stated that she believed that women should be paid equally when women's cricket starts earning revenue.

The disparity in contract amounts reflects the revenue-generating capability of men's cricket as compared to women's cricket. Men's cricket attracts larger audiences and greater sponsorship, which results in higher revenue for the BCCI. This revenue is then used to pay the players' salaries.

Despite the financial disparities, the popularity of women's cricket in India has been on the rise. India's performance in the 2017 Women's ODI World Cup, where they finished as runners-up, and the recent Asia Cup victory have significantly increased the sport's visibility. The BCCI has also announced the first-ever Women's IPL, which will further boost the women's game in India. Smriti Mandhana became the costliest buy at the first-ever Women's Premier League auction, acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for INR 3.4 crore.

The equal match fee is a step in the right direction, but the conversation around "equal pay" in Indian cricket is far from over. As women's cricket continues to grow in popularity and generate more revenue, a further narrowing of the financial gap, particularly in contract amounts, may be expected.