India’s cricket board has awarded the country’s T20 World Cup-winning team a bonus of 1.31 billion rupees ($14.24m), a sum that significantly exceeds the prize money the squad earned for winning the tournament itself.
The additional reward was announced on Tuesday by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the wealthiest governing body in global cricket. The bonus comes in recognition of India’s victory at the T20 World Cup, which was hosted on home soil.
The figure is striking not only because of its size but also because it surpasses the entire tournament prize pool. The bonus alone is roughly $3m higher than the competition’s total prize fund of $11.25m.
India secured the title with a commanding performance in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in a one-sided match. The win marked India’s third men’s T20 World Cup championship and earned the team $2.34m in official tournament prize money.
The BCCI said the bonus would be distributed among players as well as the broader group behind the victory.
“The Board congratulates the players, support staff and selectors once again on this historic achievement and wishes them continued success in the future,” the BCCI said in a statement.
Such financial rewards have become increasingly common for Indian teams following major international wins. Last year, the BCCI also issued a substantial bonus to the team that won the Champions Trophy, awarding $6.72m — roughly three times the $2.24m they received as official prize money for the tournament.
India’s latest triumph further strengthens the team’s position as one of the most successful sides in the short-format game.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav said the team’s next major ambition is now set beyond the traditional cricket calendar: winning a gold medal when the sport returns to the Olympic Games at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the victory confirmed India’s standing “among the most successful teams in the history of the format”.
Cricket occupies a unique place in India’s cultural landscape, commanding enormous audiences and turning leading players into national celebrities.
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