In light of the recent boost in Test cricketers’ salaries, the BCCI is now thinking about raising Ranji players’ wages.
To help strike a balance between the lucrative Indian primary League and Test cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering raising player salaries for the primary local red-ball competition, the Ranji Trophy.
The BCCI is now mulling a similar incentive program for players in the Ranji Trophy, in response to the recent rise in rewards made to Test cricket players. The board is looking into measures to reward players who participate in red-ball Ranji Trophy cricket, according to a BCCI official who disclosed this development. Increased match fees are intended to highlight the importance of red-ball cricket.
“The BCCI is exploring ways to incentivize players who participate in red-ball Ranji Trophy cricket, building on the success of the Test Cricket Incentive Scheme. A BCCI official informed The Indian Express that the organization intends to raise match fees in order to prioritize red-ball cricket.
Depending on how many matches they play in a season, Ranji Trophy players currently earn match fees of INR 40,000 to INR 60,000 every day. This is nothing, though, compared to even the lowest basic fee of INR 20 lakh that can be paid to an IPL player to play T20 cricket for two months.
The decision to forego Ranji Trophy matches in order to reduce their risk of injury or to stay healthy for the lucrative T20 league is indicative of the trend where players are prioritizing their IPL obligations over domestic competitions.
A company’s position may not always be to everyone’s taste: Ashwin R.
The BCCI has placed a strong emphasis on Test cricket, and Indian star R Ashwin has backed this decision. Highlighting the format’s significance, he said that the board hopes to encourage Test cricket and that it is expected of eligible players.
When an organization makes a statement, it may not always be beneficial to everyone or operate in everyone’s best interests. In fact, it may even hurt a small number of people. The organizational body is trying to tell us that Test cricket is our top priority and that the IPL is not the end all be it. That’s what we need to grasp. Test cricket is important, they say. We will promote it and expect qualified individuals to play this format. They’re making the appropriate sounds, in my opinion,” Ashwin stated, as reported by Indian Express.
“At the same time, whether a cricketer wants to do all the 12 months, or only wants to do the two months, or whether they want to be relevant playing T20 cricket and one-day cricket and do not want to be playing Test cricket, is their choice,” acknowledged Ashwin, who also acknowledged the autonomy of players in selecting their preferred formats.
