Bonanza for domestic cricketers: BCCI hikes match fee

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This Diwali will be more bright for domestic cricket players as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has raised the match fees for the upcoming season. Cricketers hit by the curtailment of the 2020-21 season due to Covid-19 will get compensation in the form 50% additional match fee.

“I am pleased to announce the hike in match fee for domestic cricketers”

Seniors – INR 60,000 (above 40 matches).

Under 23- INR 25,000

Under 19 – INR 20,000”, BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted.

I am pleased to announce the hike in match fee for domestic cricketers.

Seniors – INR 60,000 (above 40 matches).

Under 23- INR 25,000

Under 19 – INR 20,000#BCCIApexCouncil

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) September 20, 2021

The hike match fee is for players across age groups in both men’s and women’s cricket, the Indian Express reported.

The pay structure of domestic cricketers across age groups has been changed, too. Earlier, the players who made it to the XI earned Rs 35,000 per day while the reserve players got Rs 17,500 in senior tournaments.

The BCCI has created three slabs for junior and senior players. Senior players, who have played up to 20 matches, are entitled to Rs 40,000 per day (reserves will get Rs 20,000 per day). Players in the playing XI and have played 21 to 40 matches will be paid Rs 50,000 (Rs 25,000 for reserves). Players who have played more than 40 matches will be entitled to receive Rs 60,000 (Rs 30,000 for reserves).

The Indian Express report said with this hike a senior domestic player, who was getting Rs 1,40,000 for one Ranji match, will now earn Rs 2,40,000 per game. “In turn, a domestic player who plays a minimum of 50 days of domestic cricket in one season will now earn Rs 30 lakh,” the news report said.

“The increase of match fee for domestic cricketers is a welcome step and this move will ensure that professional cricketers can solely focus on playing cricket and are appropriately rewarded. Domestic cricket is our backbone and we will make every effort to keep it strong and healthy so that our bench strength always remains superior,” the report quoted Shah as saying.

BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal while stressing that slab is not tournament-specific, said that the idea is to reward consistent players in the domestic circuit. “If a player features in just one match of a Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in a season but if that turns out to be the 21st match of his career, then he will automatically move to the next pay slab,” Dhumal said.