ICC Announces Equal Prize Money For Men And Women In World Cups

Mumbai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced that prize money for men and women will be equal in World Cup tournaments, beginning with the women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE next month.

The ICC has increased the total prize pool for the 2024 edition to an impressive USD 7,958,080, more than double the amount awarded in the 2023 edition.

The winners of the Women’s T20 World Cup will receive USD 2.34 million (approximately ₹20 crore). This is a 134% increase from the USD 1 million awarded to the Australian team when they won the title in South Africa in 2023. ICC said in a statement. 

India received USD 2.45 million in prize money for winning the men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year.

“The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history,” said the ICC.

The runners-up will see a 134% increase in their prize, earning USD 1.17 million in the upcoming edition. Semi-finalists will each receive USD 675,000, more than triple the amount from 2023. Additionally, each group stage victory will be rewarded with USD 31,154, up 78% from last year’s USD 17,500.

“The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2023, when the ICC Board took the step of reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of its schedule of 2030, making cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events,” the statement added. 

The Women’s T20 World Cup begins in the UAE on October 3.

The ICC also announced the complete fixtures for the tournament which has been shifted from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates due to the unrest in Bengal.