MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has broken new ground by unbundling its sponsorship rights, securing Unilever as the first dedicated partner for women's competitions, ICC chief commercial officer Anurag Dahiya told SportsPro.
In a deal announced on International Women's Day, the consumer goods giant said it would promote its Rexona and Dove brands across all ICC women's events over the next two years. The partnership covers the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup, Women's T20 World Cup, U19 Women's T20 World Cups and the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in 2027.
Dahiya told SportsPro the move reflects the "standalone commercial value" of women's cricket, with Unilever "jumping at" the opportunity to sponsor these tournaments.
"Women's cricket is no longer an add-on or a freebie attached to men's cricket," Dahiya said. "It's a distinct product, has its own unique cultural resonance, commercial potential, and has its own ability to stand on its own."
Unilever's existing involvement in women's sport – including partnerships with WSL clubs Chelsea and Manchester City, plus sponsorship of this year's UEFA Women's Euro 2025 and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup – "absolutely facilitated" discussions with the ICC.
Beyond tournament branding, the partnership extends to digital initiatives, fan experiences and the ICC's flag bearers programme. Unilever will also support Criiio festivals, grassroots events introducing women and girls worldwide to cricket.
Dahiya confirmed that while the deal specifically covers women's cricket, revenue won't be ring fenced exclusively for the women's game but added to central funding.
"If you restricted women's cricket to only revenue they were making, that would be a gross injustice," he explained. "The commercial size of men's sport outweighs women's sport by factors of probably like 100."
The ICC has committed to maintaining equal standards across men's and women's competitions, including event presentation, facilities and prize money.
"We've taken a very conscious decision that we're not going to deliver to the competing teams and our fans any less than what we would for men," Dahiya added. "Many times more will go into women's cricket than just that money."
