The roar that traditionally followed the Men in Blue has found a powerful new echo. On 2 November, the Indian women's cricket team scripted history by lifting the ICC Women's World Cup trophy for the first time, a victory that has sent shockwaves far beyond the boundary ropes of Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.
The Immediate Aftermath: Phones Ringing Off the Hook
For the managers of India's star women cricketers, life has changed overnight. The phones have not stopped ringing since the historic Sunday evening. The final match, streamed on JioHotstar, attracted a staggering 185 million cumulative viewers, a figure that equals the viewership of the Men's T20 World Cup final last year. This massive audience has triggered a gold rush among brands eager to associate with the triumphant Women in Blue.
Talent managers report that some members of the World Cup-winning squad have already increased their endorsement fees by a massive 80-100%. Star performers like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, and Radha Yadav are now in the spotlight. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has signed a deal with real estate developer Omaxe, while Surf Excel launched an emotional campaign celebrating Jemimah Rodrigues’s match-winning 127 not out in the semi-final against Australia.
A Long-Term Game or a Short-Term Hype?
Despite the current euphoria, a critical question lingers: Is this surge in brand interest a permanent shift or a temporary celebration? Talent managers express cautious optimism, grounded in the historical struggle for brand endorsements faced by Indian women athletes, especially outside of cricket.
"For the first time, the roles have reversed," observed Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director of Baseline Ventures, which has managed Smriti Mandhana since 2017. He noted that brands are now approaching them, a scenario previously reserved for male icons like Virat Kohli or M.S. Dhoni. However, he emphasized that sustained interest depends on consistent viewership for women's cricket.
The data underscores the challenge. A GroupM report revealed that India’s sports sponsorship market crossed ₹16,600 crore in 2024, with over 85% going to cricket, primarily male cricketers. Women cricketers were absent from the list of top endorsements, highlighting the deep gender disparity.
Brands like Hyundai and State Bank of India (SBI), which had already invested in long-term contracts with Mandhana and Rodrigues, are now seeing their foresight pay off. Tata Motors announced it would gift the winning squad with its soon-to-be-launched Tata Sierra. However, as Divyanshu Singh, CEO of JSW Sports, pointed out, the Indian market has a "short-term memory," often driven by immediate hype rather than long-term investment in athletes.
The Uphill Battle for Sports Beyond Cricket
The dream run for the women's cricket team casts a spotlight on the broader, more challenging landscape for women in non-cricket sports. The primary hurdle remains limited broadcast and visibility.
"Men’s cricket has dominated India’s sports economy," stated Umakanta Panigrahi of Kroll. He explained that brands seeking instant reach naturally gravitate towards it. This has resulted in women athletes, even top performers like P.V. Sindhu, struggling for consistent brand visibility. No female athlete features in Kroll’s 2024 list of top Indian celebrities by brand value, a space dominated by actors and male cricketers.
The pattern of initial hype followed by a dial-down in sponsorship has been seen before with successful women wrestlers and boxers like Sakshi Malik and M.C. Mary Kom. For a lasting change, women’s cricket needs a busier calendar, and other sports where Indian women excel need greater investment in broadcasting and storytelling.
Globally, the trend is more positive. A Deloitte report forecasts that women’s elite sports will reach a value of $2.35 billion this year. While India's sports landscape remains a male bastion, the historic World Cup win has ignited a crucial conversation. The journey towards financial equity and sustained fame for India's women sports stars is long, but this victory has undoubtedly thrown open the gates.
