ICC Chairman Jay Shah Increases WTC 2025 Final Prize Money! Big Hike compared to the Previous Two Editions!
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has once again taken a big step to promote test cricket amidst the increasing popularity and success of franchise T20 leagues.
On Thursday, May 15, the ICC chairman, Jay Shah, took to his official X account to announce the prize money for the winners and runner-up of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. Surprisingly, the cash rewards are double compared to the previous two editions.
The high-profile event will be staged at the iconic Lord’s stadium in England. Defending champions Australia will face off against South Africa from June 11th (Wednesday) to 15th (Sunday) in the third edition of the tournament’s final match.
South Africa topped the WTC 2023-25 cycle points table with 69.44 percentage points (PCT) after a 2-0 triumph in the 2-match home test series against Pakistan.
However, the Aussies secured the second spot with 67.54 PCT after defeating India by 3-1 in the 5-match test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at home, added with a whitewashing 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka this year.
Jay Shah’s Announcement About WTC 2025 Final Prize Money
Based on Jay Shah’s recent announcement, it is understood that the winner of the WTC 2025 final between Australia and South Africa will be awarded a highly lucrative prize money of $3.6 million. In comparison, the Aussies claimed $1.6 million (INR 12 crore approximately at that time) after triumphing over India in the WTC 2023 final.
However, the runner-up is certain to grab $2.1 million, which is $0.5 million higher than the winners of the 2021 and 2023 finals.
WTC 2023-25 Prize Money for All 9 Teams
Here is how the prize money will be distributed among the top nine test-playing nations that have competed in the 2-year cycle (2023-25) to qualify for the WTC final:
| Rankings in WTC 2023-25 cycle | Team | Prize Money (in terms of USD) | Prize Money (in terms of INR approx. values) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Australia or South Africa | $3,600,000 | INR 30.73 crore |
| Runner-Up | Australia or South Africa | $2,160,000 | INR 18.43 crore |
| 3rd | India | $1,440,000 | INR 12.29 crore |
| 4th | New Zealand | $1,200,000 | INR 10.24 crore |
| 5th | England | $960,000 | INR 8.19 crore |
| 6th | Sri Lanka | $840,000 | INR 7.17 crore |
| 7th | Bangladesh | $720,000 | INR 6.14 crore |
| 8th | West Indies | $600,000 | INR 5.12 crore |
| 9th | Pakistan | $480,000 | INR 4.09 crore |
For the first time, India, the two-time runner-up, is not a part of the WTC final. Nevertheless, the Indian cricket team still receives $1,440,000 (INR 12.29 crore) prize money, which is higher than the $800,000 they took home after concluding as the finalists of the 2021 and 2023 editions each.
Prize Money in Each WTC Cycle: From 2019 to 2025
The following table depicts a clear comparison of the prize money in each WTC cycle starting from the inaugural season in 2019-21 till the recently concluded ones in 2023-25:
| Rankings | WTC 2023-25 | WTC 2019-21 (and) WTC 2023-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | $3,600,000 | $1,600,000 |
| Runner-up | $2,160,000 | $800,000 |
| 3rd | $1,440,000 | $450,000 |
| 4th | $1,200,000 | $350,000 |
| 5th | $960,000 | $200,000 |
| 6th | $840,000 | $100,000 |
| 7th | $720,000 | $100,000 |
| 8th | $600,000 | $100,000 |
| 9th | $480,000 | $100,000 |
| Overall Prize Pool | $12,000,000 | $3,800,000 |
The nine teams involved in the last two cycles of the World Test Championship were rewarded with an overall of $3.8 million.
However, this year’s finalists will be granted $5.76 million (winner: $3.6 million, and runner-up: $2.17 million) between them, and the nine teams will be paid out with $12 million together, which is thrice the 2019–21 and 2021–23 cycles.
WTC Final Prize Money Evolution: Comparison of 2023 vs 2025
Here is how the WTC 2025 final prize money for the winner and runner-up witnessed a massive boost compared to the 2023 edition:
| Position | WTC 2023 Final (in USD and INR) | WTC 2025 Final (in USD and INR) | Increase in Prize Money (2023 vs 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | $1,600,000 (INR 13.23 crore) | $3,600,000 (INR 30.73 crore) | $2,000,000 (INR 17.5 crore) |
| Runner-Up | $800,000 (INR 6.61 crore) | $2,160,000 (INR 18.43 crore) | $1,360,000 (INR 11.82 crore) |
Final Opinion
In conclusion, the prize pool, specifically for the winners and runner-up in the WTC 2023-25 cycle, is $5.76 million, which is double that of the previous two cycles (2019-21 and 2021-23) prize money of $2.4 million.
