world cup
The strength shown by the Indian women's cricket team on the field and winning the World Cup is now clearly visible on their earnings. After winning the World Cup, the brand value of women players is increasing tremendously. The value of star players like Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues is expected to increase by more than 50 percent. This means that now he can get an endorsement deal worth more than Rs 1 crore, according to his management companies.
Companies are also lining up to make him the face of their advertisements. This includes brands ranging from automobile, banks, FMCG to sports, lifestyle, beauty, personal care and education sectors. Baseline Ventures co-founder Tuhin Mishra, who manages Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Radha Yadav, and JSW Sports chief commercial officer Karan Yadav, who oversees Shafali and Jemima, both expressed excitement about the future of women cricketers.
According to Karan Yadav, the brand value of top level players has increased by 2 to 3 times. "Jemima's value has increased from around Rs 60 lakh to over Rs 1.5 crore. Shafali's has increased from Rs 40 lakh to above Rs 1 crore," he said. Tuhin Mishra said, "We are expecting an increase of 25 to 55 percent for the top players. The value of the players who performed well in the World Cup may increase even more." She also said that this victory will give women's cricket a long-term sustainable place in the advertising market, where brands will want to do long partnerships rather than short campaigns.
The huge following of players on social media has also become a major reason for increasing their value. "It's not just because of the trophy. His popularity, connect with people and social media engagement has increased manifold," Yadav said. "Jemima's following has doubled to 33 lakh and Shafali's has also increased by almost 50 per cent. Now brands look at them as storytellers not just for the cricket season, but for the whole year."
Mishra said that now women players are also entering those categories where earlier mostly male players were seen. "Smriti Mandhana is already associated with brands like Hyundai, Gulf Oil, SBI, PNB MetLife, which were traditionally advertisements for male players. This clearly shows that the star power of women is now getting real importance in the market."
Due to Smriti's popularity and form, her brand portfolio will grow further. She has been associated with many big brands like Rexona, Herbalife, Nike, SG, Nestle Maggi and Volini and also works for UNICEF. Karan Yadav says that performance, appeal to the family audience and the new identity of the modern Indian woman have made female players very attractive for brands.
"Now not only fitness or sports brands, but also banking, fintech, auto, beauty, travel, consumer tech and digital brands are coming towards them. After winning the World Cup, they have gone from 'promising' to 'mainstream' stars," According to him, in the coming years, women can capture 20-25 percent of the total cricket endorsement market, which will be a huge change. Heroines are also getting rewards from the government and companies. After meeting Prime Minister Modi and President Draupadi Murmu, players are being showered with rewards.
Tata Motors has announced that all players will be given the top model of the newly launched Tata Sierra. Company MD Shailesh Chandra said, "Team India's women cricketers have won the hearts of the entire nation. Their journey is a true example of the power of hard work and belief." Apart from this, BCCI has announced a reward of Rs 51 crore for the team and support staff, after which many states have also announced huge rewards.
