Gold rush after glory: Inside the new economics of women’s cricket

India’s Women’s World Cup triumph earlier this month has done more than rewrite its sporting history; it has redrawn the financial blueprint of women’s cricket and possibly altered the commercial landscape for all female athletes in the country.

A bit like the 1983 World Cup victory (followed by the 1985 World Championship of Cricket win) that catalysed men’s cricket into a commercial powerhouse, but a tad different too.

Because this win arrives in a far more connected, digitised, and monetisable era in the sport, one where visibility, virality, and the socio-cultural halo of the achievement have converged to create a once-in-a-generation inflection point.

In an internet-first India, where visibility equals value, this win has catapulted women cricketers into national consciousness, almost overnight. The result: higher personal brand equity, stronger endorsement deals, and the birth of a fan economy that lives on Instagram and YouTube clips.

The most immediate impact of the World Cup win is likely to be felt at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega auctions on November 27 and the endorsement contracts of players. With every standout performer from Team India now a household name, sports business analysts are expecting franchises to bid aggressively for those players that are back in the auction pool, driven by the same ‘recency bias’ that has long dictated the IPL ecosystem.