Women cricketers close brand value gap with men as endorsement earnings rise 30–50% post World Cup

New Delhi: Once upon a time, cricket was famously called a “gentleman’s game.” But on a historic Sunday night, when India’s women lifted their maiden World Cup, that phrase officially lost its meaning.

This was more than a sporting victory. A generation that had grown up watching Tendulkar and Dhoni has now found its icons in Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues.

The moment wasn’t just emotional; it was economic. It marked a seismic shift in how brands, marketers, and valuation experts look at women in sport. The so-called “support act” has now become the main event. 

Suddenly, the faces on billboards and endorsement decks aren’t just Kohli and Rohit; they’re Mandhana, Harman, and Jemimah. And this shift, valuation experts say, isn’t symbolic anymore. It’s structural, scalable, and here to stay.

A rapid commercial rise

For years, women’s cricket has sat on the corporate periphery, often serving as a CSR checkbox rather than a serious marketing category. That playbook has been tossed out, as fresh data from Kroll now makes clear.

According to Umakanta Panigrahi, Managing Director, Valuation Services, Kroll, “Smriti Mandhana’s brand value rose to USD 17.6 million in 2024, while Harmanpreet Kaur crossed the USD 5 million threshold, indicating rapid commercial visibility.”

That’s not a gentle uptick. That’s a leap. “The endorsement potential for leading women players has diversified beyond sportswear into lifestyle, fintech, and FMCG brands, reflecting a shift from symbolic associations to mainstream brand partnerships,” Panigrahi explained.

Mandhana’s portfolio reads like a masterclass in marketing evolution: Herbalife, Hyundai, ICICI Bank, Puma. “The inclusion of global brands and Tier-I domestic advertisers underscores a paradigm shift. Women’s cricket is now being positioned as a scalable, high-engagement marketing avenue rather than a symbolic initiative,” Panigrahi told BestMediaInfo.com . 

And the numbers are catching up fast. “While male cricketers like Dhoni and Rohit Sharma command Rs 5-6 crore per annum, female cricketers such as Harmanpreet and Smriti command Rs 1-2 crore,” Panigrahi noted. 

He added, “We expect the gap to narrow as female cricketers continue to be signed as brand ambassadors for reputed brands.” The audience is there too. The ICC Women’s World Cup drew 190 million viewers, the highest ever for a women’s tournament. That’s not just reach; that’s resonance.

30-40% growth from WPL days

When the buzz starts reflecting on balance sheets, you know the market has moved. For Tuhin Mishra, Co-founder and MD, Baseline Ventures, which manages several top athletes, this commercial momentum isn’t a blip. 

“Over the last few years, we’ve definitely seen significant growth in brand value and endorsement potential for women cricketers, thanks to the visibility brought in by WPL and social media,” said Mishra.

“Some of the top players like Smriti, Harmanpreet, and Jemi have become mainstream personalities rather than just sporting icons. Overall, there’s been approximately 30–40% growth compared to pre-WPL days,” he told BestMediaInfo.com . 

The firm reports a near 50% increase in post-tournament engagement metrics, signalling that brands are now recalculating the ROI narrative around women’s cricket.

“We’re definitely seeing a rise in interest from brands post the World Cup,” Mishra confirmed. “I’m hopeful it’ll be a long-term association, not just based on this win. It’s still too early to measure the exact value, but we can already see a surge in enquiries.”

The engagement game 

Visibility and relatability, the two currencies of modern marketing, are now working overtime for these athletes.

Mishra noted, “We’ve seen a spike in interest to associate with individual athletes rather than entire teams or clubs, which used to be the case with male cricketers earlier.”

He further said that campaigns featuring women cricketers are quickly gaining strong sentiment and recall value. “Fans are heavily emotionally invested in women athletes’ journeys. Men’s cricket took decades to achieve this kind of commercial success. Women’s cricket has done it in a fraction of that time,” Mishra said. 

The marketer’s play

Poulomi Roy, Chief Marketing Officer, Joy Personal Care, brings in the marketer’s instinct. oy Personal Care has been one of the early adopters of this shift, through partnerships with Gujarat Giants and campaigns like Being Equal.

To her, sports is not just entertainment; it’s a mirror of cultural progress. “Historically, when a nation needs to awaken to a cultural or social shift, it’s often driven by entertainment, and sports is part of that culture,” she said. 

Highlighting the World Cup win, she stated, “This is a crescendo and a very big turning moment.” When asked how much brand value might rise, her response is instant: “It will go up 5x to 10x for sure.”

Roy, however, offered a word of caution. “It should be long-term, but in most cases, it will be short-term. A lot of people will hop on the topical hype and move out. That always happens.”

She advised marketers to think beyond the moment. “You don’t invest in understanding consumer psychology expecting returns tomorrow. The idea is to be part of the narrative so your brand seeps into pop culture and reflects current sentiment,” she noted. 

It’s a point that ties neatly back to the valuation data. When emotion and equity move together, the value compounds. When they don’t, it fades.

The final over

The scoreboard tells a new story now. Women’s cricket, once an afterthought in brand budgets, has officially entered the big league. Kroll’s data proves it, Baseline’s clients are living it, and brands like Joy Personal Care are amplifying it.

Cricket may have started as a gentleman’s game, but it now belongs to the women who’ve redefined what victory looks like, on the field and in the market. The World Cup win didn’t just bring home a trophy; it shifted an entire nation’s gaze.

For marketers, the message is clear: women’s sport is no longer a cause to support but a movement to believe in. For fans, it’s a reminder that heroes don’t always wear the same jersey; sometimes they wear the same determination.