Harmanpreet, Smriti script their ‘1983 moment’, World Cup win to double star players’ brand value

Indian's women cricket team won the World Cup.

Indian women’s cricket team lifted the World Cup, the roar went far beyond the stadium, echoing through boardrooms, brand decks, and living rooms across the country.

Marketing experts are already calling it a watershed moment for women’s sports in India with some expecting the star players to double their endorsement value after the win.

Driving the news: After a strong innings at the semi-final, Indian women's cricket team came out even stronger in the final match beating South Africa by 52 runs.

Shafali Verma showed extraordinary skills in the final with a masterful 87 runs off 78 balls, Smriti Mandhana scored a blistering 45, while the world-class offspinner Deepti Sharma made a half-century alongwith a five-wicket haul. Sharma has also become the first cricketer — male or female — to record the double of 200 runs and 20 wickets in a single ICC World Cup edition.

Will Women in Blue see an increase in brand value?

Tuhin Mishra, Co-Founder & MD, Baseline Ventures called the win a watershed moment for women's sports in India.

The win is equivalent to the men’s 1983 breakthrough, Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, a consumer analytics and brand insights company, told Moneycontrol. "It resets the team’s brand value and marketability."

Overall brand value of the Indian women’s team and its players is set to see a sharp rise in the next 12–18 months, said Sunil Gupta, CEO, Delhi Capitals.

Chandramouli expects over the next year, endorsement demand for the team to rise by 30–40%, with top players likely to see a 25–30% jump in individual deal values. "Beyond sportswear and fantasy gaming, we are likely to see more mainstream categories — banking, automotive, beauty, and premium lifestyle brands — entering women’s cricket sponsorship for the first time."

Santosh N, managing partner of D and P Advisory, a valuation services provider sees the win as a turning point for players and Indranil Blah, Founder, AMP Sports calls it a tipping point for endorsement boom.

"Winning the World Cup where there was enough competition is the tipping point. If we had not won the World Cup then the situation would have been a few brands taking a punt. Now with the win and even Women's Premier League (WPL) scheduled to happen in a couple of months, brands see a calendar of events, consistency," Blah said.

Santosh pointed out to the sea of blue at the DY Patil stadium where the World Cup final took place. At first glance, it looked like a men's cricket match due to the sizable crowd. "At a time when many have lost interest in watching a 50 over men's cricket match, a women's final match had such a strong turnout. So, I would not be surprised if some of the established stars see an increase of more than 40-50% in their endorsement fees."

"The men's cricket team hasn't won the 50-over World Cup in like 14 years. On the other hand, the women's team has scored a win of such a magnitude. And brands appreciate the significance and value of such a World Cup win," Anant Arora, Founder, OneByTwo Entertainment, said.

We will soon see women cricketers commanding multi-crore, multi-year deals — a space once dominated by the men’s game, said Kshemal Waingankar, COO and Director of Cricket, UP Warriorz

Many women cricketers will now become household names, said Sanjay Adesara, Chief Business Officer, Adani Sportsline. "This victory will be remembered as a cultural and commercial turning point for the women’s game."

The win will result in increased media attention, higher viewership, stronger hero stories, all ingredients for brand value to surge, said Rohit Agarwal, founder and director, Alpha Zegus, a gaming marketing agency.

Which players will see an increase in their brand value?

Baseline Ventures which manages the brand portfolio of Mandhana expects a 25-30% growth in her endorsement value. "We are expecting increased interest from various brands especially lifestyle brands outside of traditional sports brands," Mishra said, adding that she is already one of the top endorsers in women's cricket, even at par with some of the men cricketers.

According to Umakanta Panigrahi, Managing Director, Valuation Services, Kroll, currently, top-tier women cricketers command endorsement fees in the range of Rs 1–2 crore per annum, which could increase meaningfully post this World Cup triumph.

The World Cup win gives women cricketers a new positioning of not just top players but of champions which brands value highly, Rohit Agarwal said. "We could see endorsement fees going past Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore for anchor deals; increase in number of deals, including smaller tier-2 brands moving in. Over the next 12-24 months, their (women cricketers) annual brand-related income could easily jump by 50-70%, provided the player remains competitive and accessible."

Santosh estimates the uptick in endorsement value to be higher for players like Shafali Verma or Deepti Sharma because of a low base. "They are probably charging in the range of Rs 20-30 lakh of endorsement fee today. For them, the increase could be even more, maybe 80-100%."

Will star players add more brands to their endorsement portfolio?

TRA Research's Chandramouli estimates the biggest gainers including Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Deepti Sharma to see their endorsement volume increase upwards of 50–60%.

"Each of the above players will add over 5 new brand associations in the coming year, expanding into premium and non-traditional categories," he said.

Shiv Burman, Founder, Burman Sports expects a surge from categories that prize authenticity and progress in equal measure including finance, tech, education, personal care, health, BFSI, and new-age Direct to consumer (D2C) firms.

Smriti Mandhana, who already commands partnerships with leading brands such as Herbalife, Hyundai, ICICI Bank, and Puma, continues to be the most marketable face of Indian women’s cricket, said Kroll's Panigrahi.

Harmanpreet Kaur has added marquee endorsements including CREX and Hapipola, further strengthening her commercial appeal, he added. "Collectively, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur now endorse over 25 brands."

Panigrahi also pointed to their social media presence which has grown exponentially, with over 20 million followers for Mandhana and around 5 million for Kaur. "These numbers compare favorably to several emerging male cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav."

Anant Arora expects more and more female cricketers to be in the endorsement pie.

The emergence of new heroes after the World Cup win is promising, said Delhi Capitals Gupta.

"Brands are increasingly open to backing fresh faces and the depth in the talent pool will expand the overall commercial ecosystem of women’s cricket. What’s equally exciting is the rise of the emerging talents like Shafali, Pratika, Charani, who are relatable, fearless, and aspirational. Shafali, who at just 21, had to fly in urgently right before the semis as a replacement, and went on to win Player Of The Match (POTM) in the final – that’s an incredible story that has been immortalized for generations to come," he said.

Will women's cricket continue hitting it out of the park?

Tuhin Mishra Mishra feels the World Cup win will change perspective about women's sports in India and unlock their commercial potential.

Chandramouli noted that with the World Cup title and the Women’s Premier League both driving visibility, India is entering a multi-year growth phase for the women’s game. "Expect more strategic, longer-term brand partnerships, higher production investments in campaigns, and a new generation of icons who appeal well beyond sport."

Is WPL the ‘power play’ behind the rise in women’s cricket?

According to Santosh, WPL is driving more women to take up this sport. "What are the chances of a player getting into an India team?" he asked. "The probability is very low because there are only 15-20 spots available whereas, if it is WPL, there are 5 teams, each team having a contingent of 15-20 India players. So, there are 100 Indian women cricketers who are required and when the number of teams increase, then this 100 will become 200," he said.

The next 10-15 years could be golden years for women's cricket in India, he added.

Concurring with Santosh, Sanjay Adesara said that WPL started the commercial revolution for women's cricket. "As owners of the Gujarat Giants, Adani Sportsline has seen this transformation up close. Top players already command multi-crore annual endorsement incomes and the WPL salaries have also increased. This year it is going to be a mega auction, so there will be a significant surge in bidding," he said.

The WPL had already laid the commercial foundation, with over 70 brands investing in its second season, Waingankar noted. "Now, with India lifting the World Cup, the women’s game becomes a national property. We’ll see stronger central sponsorships, bigger broadcast deals, and more brands wanting to be part of this movement — not just as advertisers, but as long-term partners."