From empowerment to excellence: How India’s World Cup win changed the business of Women’s Cricket

Shefali Verma’s 87 off 78 balls in the ICC Women’s World Cup final made her India’s highest scorer on the night. She also chipped in with two wickets. 

Deepti Sharma then powered India past the 250-mark before delivering a spell for the ages—5 for 39—becoming the first player, man or woman, to register both a half-century and a five-wicket haul in an ODI knockout match. Amanjot Kaur’s full-length sprint to cling on to South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt’s catch decisively swung momentum in the field.

Together, these performances sealed India’s landmark World Cup victory in November. More importantly, they changed the way women’s cricket is spoken about in India. 

The narrative shifted away from empowerment and diversity to one rooted in quality, composure under pressure and elite performance.

Poulomi Roy, CMO at Joy Personal Care (RSH Global), says the shift in conversation has been unmistakable. “People are talking about the quality of innings, the partnerships, the excitement of the game. The discussion has moved beyond empowerment to pure cricketing merit,” she says.

According to Roy, this is the point at which a sport crosses into popular culture. “It’s enjoyable, competitive and genuinely fun to watch, without needing a different lens. When people want to spend time watching it, you know something has changed. That’s reflected in growing sponsorships, more brands on jerseys, and deeper engagement with the tournament.”

The World Cup victory captured national attention in a way few moments in women’s sport in India ever had.

That attention translated into belief—among players, fans and stakeholders—that women’s cricket had arrived as a serious, sustainable sporting product. As viewership grew, brand confidence followed.

That momentum is now most visible in the WPL. After years of patient investment, the league is beginning to reap the rewards. Its fourth season is witnessing unprecedented brand interest, with sponsors spanning categories—from jewellery, beauty and FMCG to technology, automotive and alcobev. 

On the broadcast side, JioStar has so far signed 15 sponsors, up from 10 sponsors last year. These include SBI, Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, Kalyan Jewellers, TVS Eurogrip, VIDA, OpenAI (ChatGPT), BHIM payments app, OnePlus, Tata Capital, Policybazaar, Pidilite, Wipro, Reckitt, Mast Masala and Crystal Cookware. 

The league and its five teams have also signed on many new partners. Brands such as Amul, L’Oréal Professionnel, BKT Tyres, EaseMyTrip, Joy Skincare, Skechers, De Beers Group, Soframycin and DHL are among those on board.

Karan Yadav, chief commercial officer at JSW Sports, says the World Cup win was a turning point for brand perception. “Winning changes perception faster than any marketing deck. Performance legitimises spend,” he says.

According to Yadav, the nature of conversations with advertisers shifted almost immediately. Brands were no longer testing the waters or associating purely for optics. Instead, they were coming in with clear objectives around visibility, engagement and talent-led storytelling.

While overall viewership has grown, Yadav believes the more meaningful change lies in who is watching—and how. “Viewers now come in with familiarity. They know players, they follow teams, and they stay longer,” he says. 

“That kind of intent-driven viewership is far more valuable for brands than raw reach. Advertisers don’t just buy eyeballs anymore; they buy attention quality.”

He also points to a broader, more balanced audience profile, including a clear rise in women viewers. This has strengthened the league’s appeal across categories, such as wellness, personal care, lifestyle, and jewellery.

De Beers Group, for instance, is sponsoring Mumbai Indians, marking its first foray into the WPL. The brand had previously collaborated with the IPL, where it accessorised female anchors with diamonds.

Toranj Mehta, vice-president, marketing, De Beers India, says diamonds are a natural fit for sport. Cricket, she notes, demands immense natural talent, relentless hard work and years of refinement to reach the top.

“That journey comes with pressure, resilience and constant self-improvement. In many ways, it mirrors the story of diamonds, which are formed over billions of years deep within the earth, shaped by intense pressure, and emerge with brilliance because of that process,” she says.

“The other aspect is the WPL itself—it’s about women, and women and diamonds have always been intrinsically connected.”

Mehta adds that the WPL has firmly brought women’s cricket into the mainstream. “It’s heartening to see women’s sport in India being taken to such a massive scale—something long dominated by men’s cricket. This tournament is truly putting women’s sport in the spotlight. We strongly believe in the strength of women’s talent and their ability to reach the highest level of sport.”

While women remain the core target group for De Beers, the league allows the brand to communicate the values of natural diamonds—timelessness, rarity and enduring value—to a younger, more diverse audience.

Joy Personal Care has been associated with the WPL since its inception in 2023. Roy says the brand backed the league early, fully aware that returns would take time. “Very few brands can say they supported something from the very beginning—when it was uncertain, when it was about belief rather than returns,” she says.

“For FMCG brands, patience is often the hardest part. The pressure to deliver immediate numbers is real. But if you understand where the curve is heading and commit early, you can grow alongside it. Our association with the WPL has been driven by conviction and long-term belief—not short-term sales.”

Importantly, the advertiser mix now extends well beyond women-facing categories. The WPL is increasingly attracting gender-neutral brands drawn by its reach, engagement and the quality of the on-field product.

According to a Mumbai Indians spokesperson, the tournament is expected to see a 20–25% increase in viewership this season. But the bigger change has been qualitative. “Earlier, even when numbers were coming in, it was harder to get a foot in the door. Now, those conversations are much easier. There’s far more dialogue around women’s cricket than there was even a year ago,” he says.

The spokesperson notes a steady rise in women and children viewers, with the audience now far more balanced than before. However, he stresses that quality remains the most important driver.

“If more men are tuning in despite having alternatives, it reinforces that the WPL is doing something right as a sporting product.”

He adds that the influx of gender-neutral brands reflects the league’s evolution into a strong media property. “It delivers numbers, eyeballs and engagement. It’s no longer about whether men or women are playing.”

The timing, however, is not without challenges. The WPL coincides with the India–New Zealand series and sits within an already crowded cricket calendar that includes the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the IPL. Yet Yadav believes this works in the league’s favour.

“In a crowded calendar, the WPL offers clarity—less noise, stronger recall, and more room for brands to stand out,” he says. For teams and athletes, this enables cleaner integrations and more authentic storytelling.

When the WPL launched in 2023, many brands associated with women’s cricket primarily to support diversity-led narratives. That phase, Yadav says, is now behind the league. “Purpose is still there, but it’s no longer the primary reason; performance and outcomes are.”

This growing confidence has also allowed the league to price its offerings more robustly. Deeper partnerships and athlete-led integrations have grown by around 15–20%, though Yadav stresses the growth has been measured rather than speculative.

Mumbai Indians, for instance, is charging nearly 50% more than last year. The increase is not uniform across teams, with IPL-affiliated teams commanding higher values than non-IPL teams.

Taken together, the signs point to a league that has moved beyond promise to proof—powered by performance, validated by audiences, and increasingly backed by brands.