10 richest female cricketers in the world

KARACHI: Once known as the gentleman’s game, today, female players involved with cricket are no less than their male counterparts. The advent of franchise-based Twenty-20 (T20) leagues around the globe for women, such as the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, Women’s The Hundred in England and the Women’s Premier League in India, has only brought more and more women of the sport in the limelight.

Ellyse Perry with net worth $14 million (Rs3.92 bn) is the richest female cricketer in the world. One of the greatest female cricketers in the history of the sport, Ellyse Perry remains the youngest Australian to represent the nation in international cricket (she made her debut at the age of 16). She is also the only Australian to have represented the nation in both FIFA and Cricket World Cups.

An all-rounder, Perry is one of the finest in the trade with both the bat and the ball in her hands. She has won numerous trophies with the Australian women’s team, notable of which are the ICC Women’s World Cup (in 2013 and 2022), the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023), and a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. According to reports, Perry is the highest-paid female cricketer in the world at present and the richest female cricketer of all time.

Meg Lanning with net worth $9 million (Rs2.52bn) is the second richest. Arguably the most successful female cricket captain of all time, she retired in November 2023 as one of the sport’s all-time greats. She led the Australian team to five ICC tournament wins — the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022, and four ICC Women’s T20 World Cup titles (in 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023). In addition, she also led Australia to a gold medal win in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, defeating India in the final.

Besides her astute leadership skills, Lanning is also revered as one of the finest female batters in the history of cricket. She holds the record for most One Day International (ODI) centuries in women’s cricket (15 tons), and is the first Australian woman to go past the 2,000-run mark in T20 Internationals.

The next is Mithali Raj of India with net worth $5 million (Rs1.40bn). A tale that all of India knows, thanks to the film Shabaash Mithu (2022), Mithali Raj’s journey chronicles not just her life, but also traces the growth of women’s cricket in the country. Raj is perhaps one of the first Indian female superstars of the game alongside Jhulan Goswami. She laid the foundation for the growth of women’s cricket in India and remains the pioneering figure of the success that the women in blue enjoy today.

An exceptional batter, Raj holds the record for scoring the most runs in women’s international cricket (10,868 runs). She has also scored the most half-centuries in women’s ODIs (64). It was under her leadership that India reached the final of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time (in 2017).

Indian Smriti Mandhana has net worth $4 million (Rs1.12bn). Regarded as a modern-day great, Smriti Mandhana is one of the most sought-after female cricketers in India at present.

Harmanpreet Kaur is worth $3 million (Rs840 million). Another Indian legend, Harmanpreet Kaur serves as the captain of the Indian women’s team ever since the retirement of Mithali Raj. Under her able leadership, India won the coveted gold medal at the Asian Games in 2023.

Sarah Taylor of England is worth $2 million (Rs560m). One of the finest English women cricketers of all time, Sarah Taylor holds the record for being the fastest cricketer (male or female) to make their debut in all three formats of international cricket, doing so within a span of nine days in 2006 against India.

Holly Ferling ($1.5 million or Rs420m) has been around for over a decade. She is known for her exploits in the Australian domestic circuit, particularly in the Women’s Big Bash League (BBL).

Isa Guha ($1.5 million or Rs420m) is a British cricketer of Indian origin. Guha was a part of the victorious England women’s team in the 2009 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in Australia. She, alongside Lynsey Askew, shares the world record for the highest ninth-wicket partnership in women’s ODIs (the pair scored 73 runs in a match between England and New Zealand in 2007).

Sana Mir of Pakistan is worth $1.3 million (Rs364m). This amount, however, cannot be independently verified. None of the female cricketers from Pakistan have enjoyed as much success and fame as Sana Mir. The former captain of the Pakistani women’s team is the first female cricketer from her country to scalp 100 wickets in ODI cricket. She also holds the record for being the first woman from Pakistan to reach the summit of the ICC ODI bowlers’ ranking (in October 2018). Under her inspired leadership, Pakistan won two gold medals at the Asian Games (in 2010 and 2014). In February 2019, Mir became the first Pakistani woman to feature in 100 T20 internationals for her country. Even after her retirement, Mir remains one of the richest Pakistani female cricketers.

Dane Van Niekerk with worth $1 million (Rs280m) is at number 10.

The South African all-rounder led the national women’s team between 2016 and 2021. She is the first South African woman to take a hat-trick in international cricket (she achieved this feat against the West Indies in 2013).

Niekerk also holds the record for being the first woman from South Africa to scalp 100 wickets in ODIs. The all-rounder is known for her time in domestic franchise leagues around the globe, having featured in the Women’s BBL, The Hundred and the WPL, among others.