MCA introduces player contracts
The Mumbai Cricket Association announced India's first Player Contract System for domestic cricketers, with Grade A at ₹12–20 lakh, Grade B at ₹8–12 lakh and Grade C at ₹8 lakh. MCA President Ajinkya Naik confirmed BCCI support and said the system applies to state-level domestic merit players, excluding IPL and India representatives. ((x.com))
Mumbai Cricket Association has introduced annual player contracts for its domestic cricketers, the first such system by an Indian state association. (espncricinfo.com) The contracts start with the 2026-27 domestic season and split players into three bands: Grade A at ₹12 lakh to ₹20 lakh a year, Grade B at ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh, and Grade C at ₹8 lakh. Players will also continue to receive match fees, daily allowances and performance-based incentives. (sportstar.thehindu.com) Mumbai Cricket Association said the deals will go to eligible players based on performance, fitness benchmarks and selection committee recommendations. ESPNcricinfo reported the association did not initially specify whether the plan covered both men and women, while Cricbuzz said the contracts had been extended to both teams. (espncricinfo.com) (cricbuzz.com) The change gives Mumbai a fixed-retainer model on top of the pay domestic players already earn from the Board of Control for Cricket in India tournaments. In March 2024, the association had already approved an extra match-fee payment for its Ranji Trophy players equal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India fee. (sportstar.thehindu.com) (bcci.tv) That matters in Mumbai because the state side sits at the center of India’s domestic system. Mumbai remains the most successful team in Ranji Trophy history with 42 titles, and it won its most recent championship in the 2023-24 season. (news18.com) (bcci.tv) Sportstar reported the plan was approved in principle by the Mumbai Cricket Association Apex Council on January 15 before the full framework was finalized on April 16. The same report said Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttarakhand had tried similar contract-style arrangements before, but not on a sustained basis. (sportstar.thehindu.com) Mumbai Cricket Association president Ajinkya Naik said the system was meant to support players “on the cusp of higher honours” and give them more security and structure inside the domestic game. The association’s next step is to draw up the player list closer to the season with input from selectors and its cricket improvement committee. (espncricinfo.com) (sportstar.thehindu.com)
