As Indian sports continues to grow, both the Indian Super League (ISL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) have emerged as two of the biggest sporting leagues in the country. With both leagues distributing prize money worth crores, the competition among teams and players has intensified. However, there’s still a huge financial gap between the two when it comes to prize money—highlighting the difference in scale and market between football and cricket in India.
Mohun Bagan SG Creates History in ISL 2025
Mohun Bagan Super Giant (Mohun Bagan SG) had an incredible 2025 season, emerging as the ISL Shield winners by finishing at the top of the league table. With this, they became the first team to win the Shield back-to-back, setting a new record. Later, they also won the ISL Cup by defeating Bengaluru FC in the grand finale.
The big question now—how much prize money did they earn, and how does it compare to the IPL?
ISL 2025 Prize Money Breakdown
Team Awards:
- ISL Cup Winner: ₹6 crore
- ISL Runner-Up: ₹3 crore
- ISL Semi-finalists (Each): ₹1.5 crore
- ISL Shield Winner (League Topper): ₹3.5 crore
Individual Awards:
- Hero of the League: ₹5 lakh
- Golden Boot (Top Scorer): ₹4 lakh
Salary Cap Update:
For the new season, ISL teams saw an increase in the salary cap to ₹18 crore, up from ₹16.5 crore. Each team is allowed two players (domestic or foreign) who can be paid beyond this cap.
IPL 2025 Prize Money Details
The Indian Premier League (IPL), the richest T20 cricket league in the world, continues to offer eye-popping prize money. Here’s a breakdown of the 2025 season rewards:
Team Awards:
- IPL Champion: ₹20 crore
- IPL Runner-Up: ₹13 crore
- 3rd Place Team: ₹7 crore
- 4th Place Team: ₹6.5 crore
Individual Awards:
- Orange Cap (Top Run-Scorer): ₹15 lakh
- Purple Cap (Top Wicket-Taker): ₹15 lakh
- Emerging Player of the Season: ₹20 lakh
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): ₹12 lakh
IPL Prize Money Growth Over the Years
- 2008-09: Champion – ₹4.8 crore | Runner-up – ₹2.4 crore
- 2010-13: Champion – ₹10 crore | Runner-up – ₹5 crore
- 2014-15: Champion – ₹15 crore | Runner-up – ₹10 crore
- 2016-19: Champion – ₹20 crore | Runner-up – ₹11-12.5 crore
- 2020 (COVID Impact): Champion – ₹10 crore | Runner-up – ₹6.25 crore
- 2021-25: Champion – ₹20 crore | Runner-up – ₹12.5-13 crore
Conclusion: The Financial Divide Between ISL and IPL
While ISL is making steady progress and gaining popularity, the IPL remains financially dominant with more than three times the prize money offered to its champion team compared to ISL. This vast difference reflects the commercial scale, global audience, and sponsorship pull of cricket in India. However, with football’s growth trajectory in India, the gap could slowly narrow in the future.