New Delhi, India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to consider a big pay rise for domestic players in the country to encourage participation in domestic competitions. The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar is reportedly tasked with suggestions on how to implement this idea. The players in the domestic circuit will reportedly earn INR 10 million per annum if the suggestions are implemented. One of the key reasons for implementing the new policy is to help players earn a significant sum who have missed out on an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract.

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Domestic players to get big hike

Players playing in the IPL earn considerably more amount when compared to the Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, a bulk of players does not participate in the IPL leaving them deprived of big cash. Sarfaraz Khan and Cheteshwar Pujara are the best examples of it as they earn less than players like Rahul Tewatia and Tushar Deshpande, who are yet to make their debuts for the national side.

The BCCI is now focusing on bridging the gap in financial terms, although it won’t be any closer to what players earn from the IPL. The BCCI currently pays INR 60,000 a day to a player who has played more than 40 Ranji games, INR 50,000 to those who have played between 21 and 40 games, and INR 40,000 for those who've featured in 20 games, with the reserves earning INR 30,000, INR 25,000 and INR 20,000 in the respective categories. On this scale of payment, a senior cricketer would be earning up to INR 25 lakh if his side reaches the final with others in the side making between INR 17 lakh and INR 22 lakh.

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While there is no official word on when the policy will come into effect, the BCCI is expecting it to implement it before the end of the 2024-25 domestic season.

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India legend Sunil Gavaskar had earlier suggested that fees for domestic cricketers be doubled or tripled.

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"If the Ranji Trophy fees can be doubled or tripled, certainly there'll be a lot more people playing the Ranji Trophy, and a lot less pullouts from the Ranji Trophy, because if the fees of playing a Ranji Trophy match are a good fee, there will be fewer people pulling out for various reasons," the cricket legend had stated last month.