BCCI Pay Hike: Virat, Rohit to Make Rs 7 Cr a Year, But Not Dhoni

The top category of Indian cricketers will be paid Rs 7 crore a year, instead of the earlier Rs 2 crore.

Among the many demands that Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri have voiced in their tenure is the cry for better salaries for Indian cricketers.

Today, the Committee of Administrators, along with the BCCI, has obliged.

In an official mail, the CoA has announced a drastic increase in the annual contracts of members of the Indian cricket team, along with an all new category — the A+. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are all part of the new A+ category, and are now slated to earn a massive Rs 7 crore a year.

The earlier highest grade for players, the A grade, used to fetch Rs 2 crore a year and will now make Rs 5 crore.

Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara and senior spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have all been relegated from the top-paid bracket from last March and now see themselves in the second grade of players.

Paceman Mohammed Shami’s contract however has been withheld by the BCCI after his wife made allegations of domestic violence and adultery earlier in the day.

Veteran Yuvraj Singh and young Rishabh Pant have been omitted from the last list even as Suresh Raina makes a comeback.

The annual contracts are for the period from October 2017 to September 2018.

BCCI’s Logic

Asked about Dhoni being kept out of the top bracket, a senior BCCI official told PTI: “It's a simple logic that selectors have applied. Play more and get paid more. The five in question are indispensable in all three formats right now. They deserved to be paid more. Also Ravi Shastri, Kohli and Dhoni have been taken into confidence.”

Explaining the logic behind picking category A players, the official said, “The second group comprises players who are certainties in at least one format like Saha and Pujara. They are in second group because of their dependability in at least one format.

"Dhoni has retired and Ashwin, Jadeja are no longer automatic selections in limited overs. They are as of now not in the WC scheme. So in second category," the official added.

Indian Cricket Team’s New Salaries

A+ Grade – Rs 7 Crore a Year
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah

A Grade – Rs 5 Crore a Year
Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Wridhhiman Saha

B Grade – Rs 3 Crore a Year
KL Rahul, Umesh Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Dinesh Karthik

C Grade – Rs 1 Crore a Year
Kedar Jadhav, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Karun Nair, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Jayant Yadav

There was some good news for domestic cricketers as first XI players will now get Rs 35,000 per day in a four-day game making their match fees rocket from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1.40 lakh per match. Add to it the TV rights money will make their per match fee go up to Rs 3 lakh per match.

Among the women, World Cup stars Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have been kept in the top bracket, under which the annual contract is worth Rs 50 lakh.

"The CoA recognises that the actual income of the BCCI fluctuates on an annual basis depending on the number of home matches Team India (Senior Men) plays.

"Hence, to insulate the player compensation, the CoA has sanctioned the creation of a 'Players Revenue/Compensation Equalisation Fund' (PR/CEF) to which the BCCI will contribute approximately Rs 125 crore per annum from its surplus," the BCCI statement read.

(With inputs from PTI)

(More to follow)