New Zealand made history on Sunday by securing their first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in Dubai. This victory marked New Zealand’s first T20 World Cup title for both men and women. The White Ferns, led by Sophie Devine, were sent in to bat first and posted a competitive total of 158/5. Despite South Africa’s hopes of clinching the title in their second consecutive final, they fell short, scoring 126/9, and once again missed out on the championship.
Record Prize Money for Champions and Runners-Up
Earlier in 2024, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a significant increase of 134% in the prize money for the Women’s T20 World Cup. As a result, New Zealand took home a massive cash prize of USD 2.34 million (Rs 19.6 crore) for their victory. South Africa, as the runners-up, also earned a substantial reward, receiving USD 1.17 million (Rs 9.8 crore). The ICC’s decision to boost the prize pool reflects the growing prominence of women’s cricket and the increasing financial rewards for top-performing teams in major tournaments.
India and Semi-Finalists Share in Prize Pool
In this edition of the tournament, the ICC expanded the prize money distribution to include not only the winners and runners-up but also the semi-finalists and top-performing teams in the group stage. Australia and West Indies, the two semi-finalists, each received USD 675,000 (Rs 5.7 crore) for their efforts.
While the final group stage rankings are yet to be confirmed, India, with two wins in four matches, is likely to finish in sixth place. If confirmed, the Indian team will receive USD 270,000 (Rs 2.25 crore), the same amount awarded to the other top three group stage teams.
This memorable Sunday marked a remarkable day for New Zealand cricket, as their women’s team celebrated their T20 World Cup triumph just hours after the men’s team secured their first Test victory in India in 36 years.
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