India’s historic win at the Women’s ODI World Cup has set off celebrations across the country and boosted the brand value of the team’s top players. After their exciting victory over South Africa in Navi Mumbai, endorsement fees for players have jumped by 25% to 100%, signalling a new chapter for women’s cricket in India.
Reports say that Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Shafali Verma are seeing a huge rise in their commercial appeal. Their social media followers have grown quickly, and agencies are getting many brand inquiries and requests to renegotiate deals.
“Since this morning, we’ve received a rush of brand queries, not just for new collaborations but also for fee revisions upwards of 25–30%,” said Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director of Baseline Ventures.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who made headlines with her unbeaten 127 runs in the semi-final against Australia, is now one of the most in-demand athletes in India. Reports say her brand value has doubled, and her endorsement fees now range from ₹75 lakh to ₹1.5 crore per deal, depending on what the contract includes.
“We’ve been flooded with requests from brands across 10 to 12 categories immediately after the semifinal,” said Karan Yadav, Chief Commercial Officer at JSW Sports, which manages Rodrigues.
Smriti Mandhana, already India’s highest-paid female cricketer, remains the face of many major brands. She currently endorses 16 top companies, such as Nike, Hyundai, Herbalife, State Bank of India, PNB MetLife, HUL’s Rexona, and Gulf Oil, earning between ₹1.5 crore and ₹2 crore per brand.
Even before the final, brands were ready to celebrate the team’s success. Priya Nair, Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever, said that full-page ads for Surf Excel’s “Daag Acche Hain” and Rexona’s campaign with Rodrigues were prepared ahead of time. This supports the message that “the maidan belongs to every woman who shows up, stands tall, and plays her heart out.”
Brands Join the Celebration
After India’s win, social media was full of creative tributes from leading companies.
- Swiggy Instamart posted, “Queen served so good, the entire stadium couldn’t sit still.”
- Puma, which sponsors Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Richa Ghosh, wrote: “Every doubt. Every headline. Every heartbreak. Burned. Harmanpreet Kaur is a World Cup-winning captain.”
- Pepsi chimed in with a clever nod to unity: “From one blue team to another.”
The Road Ahead
This major win has raised the profile of women’s cricket in both business and culture. Endorsement agencies are hopeful that this momentum will bring more visibility, recognition, and financial equality for female athletes.
However, the real challenge is keeping this new recognition going. As the excitement from the win fades, it is important to make sure India’s women cricketers keep getting the respect and opportunities they deserve, both on and off the field.
