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Building on WC triumph key to commercial rise of women’s cricket
While brand value of some stars has doubled after Indian women’s teams’ maiden World Cup win, sustaining interest will be important
Mumbai: ‘Nothing succeeds like success’ is a saying that rings true even when spoken with Indian cricket in mind. A fortnight ago, India’s women’s cricket team were at the receiving end of a brutal social media backlash after suffering a hat-trick of losses that left them on the brink of World Cup elimination. Since then, an extraordinary turnaround has helped them break the Cup jinx. Crowned world champions in front of a packed stadium in Navi Mumbai and watched by millions around the world on TVs and smartphones, India can’t have enough of them.
The brand value of the leading ladies of Indian cricket is set to increase substantially in the immediate future. Expect the notable players to be on celebrity talk shows and panel discussions in this festive spirit of post-World Cup revelry. We have been there before. Remember the 2017 ODI World Cup where a runners-up finish was seen to be as good as a win?
Moment marketing was in vogue then, it still is. Surf was quick to jump on Jemimah Rodrigues’ semi-final heroics with their punch line, in appreciation of her soiled jersey. After the final was won, more brands joined the bandwagon. “Trust the blue to deliver when the nation’s hungry,” posted Domino’s on social media. “A match so perfect, the nation fell in love,” said Shaadi.com. Harmanpreet Kaur posted a picture sleeping with the Cup wearing Puma, Rodrigues sporting Red Bull.
“It was a historic moment. The World Cup win created new stars and icons for Indian sport,” said Divyanshu Singh, CEO JSW Sport. “At the same time, from our experience of working in Olympic sport, what is equally important is that the hype is sustained.”
What works for women’s cricket is greater visibility as the calendar is more populated with bilateral and franchise cricket supplementing world events. Whereas for someone like Manu Bhaker, who won two medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the marketing died down as elite shooting events are fewer.
“The one thing that is different from 2017 and now is that while there were only one or two players who people were familiar with, now there are six or seven,” said Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director, Baseline Ventures, who manage Smriti Mandhana, India’s highest valued women cricketer.
Mandhana’s brand has blossomed parallel to Indian women’s cricket’s upsurge over the last decade. She endorses 16-17 brands, including high valued multi-year deals amounting to ₹2 crore per brand. But captain Harmanpreet Kaur — now on the wrong side of 30s — and Rodrigues are the only other established names endorsing major brands.
“Cricket, in being a team sport, is also an individual sport. Consistent performance is the key. The more marketable the athlete is, it helps.” said Mishra.
From a big picture take, there are a wide range of possibilities. Currently Indian women’s team sports Adidas and Apollo Tyres on their jerseys as an extension of the high valued deal for men. Could things be different in the future?
Self-sufficiency
Apollo Tyres calls their association with the women’s team integral to strategy.
“While it’s still early to quantify the traction and impact of this association, the emotional resonance is undeniable,” said Udyan Ghai, Group Head, Global Marketing, Apollo Tyres Ltd. “The World Cup win isn’t just a sporting milestone; it’s a commercial, cultural, and structural inflection point. If stakeholders move in sync, Indian women’s cricket could evolve into a billion-dollar ecosystem within the next decade.”
That a world title, a first, has come in the social media age could accelerate the speed of commercial growth.
“There are three ways brands may look at the future,” said N Santosh of D&P, market valuation experts. “For the big cola brands, Tatas, Mahindras, men’s cricket is their first reference. They make an allocation for women’s cricket. The second category are those who invest in women’s cricket because men’s cricket is too expensive. A third category could be the most interesting. Like Rexona, who we saw in the 2025 women’s World Cup. Tomorrow, a sanitary pad major may come in.
“Earlier, they were not associated with cricket because men’s cricket was not for them. Now, they may want to advertise, not for affordability but strategy. If and when women’s cricket can add new viewers to the game, that would be a real evolution.”
There are more voices of reason. “When it comes to the women in sports, out of the total sponsorship spend, it is not more than 6 to 7%, and still dominated by few stars like PV Sindhu and Smriti Mandhana,” said Singh. “While more women athletes deserve more, our endeavour is not just to look at it as a value game, but innovate, look at brands with right attributes and at long-term partnerships as is the global best practice.”
