The domestic structure in Indian cricket is very simple and it revolves around three major tournaments – Ranji Trophy (4-day test match format), Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-over match format), and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (20-over match format).
Ranji Trophy is the biggest and the most important of the lot as it holds a lot of value. The competition and level of cricket played in the Ranji Trophy grooms the players well for international cricket. It is said that if a cricketer is successful in Ranji Trophy and scores a lot of runs or takes the most wickets, he is highly likely to knock on the door of the Indian team.
This prestigious tournament was started in 1934 with a solitary match between Madras and Mysore and it was no going back after that. Participation and competition in this tournament have always been on the rise since then.
Earlier, players resisted playing in the tournament because the pay structure was very less and they were deprived of the basic amenities while playing. But as India became a cricketing giant and we started to beat teams in international cricket, BCCI invested in our domestic circuit and things improved.
Till the 2020-21 season, the pay structure for the Ranji Trophy was very similar to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Each player in the playing 11 would receive an amount of INR 35,000 for each playing day whereas all the players who were not a part of playing 11 received an amount of INR 17,500 for each playing day.
How much does a cricketer make in one Ranji Trophy season?
According to the latest pay structure which was developed in the 2021-22 season, BCCI divided the players into categories – 0-20 matches, 21-40 matches, and 41-60 matches or above. Other than these playing categories, there were reserve and non-playing categories for the players, not a part of starting playing 11.
BCCI now pays INR 60,000 per playing day to the players in the third category, INR 50,000 per playing day for the second category, and INR 40,000 per playing day for the first category. The reserve players and the non-playing players get INR 30,000 and INR 25,000 respectively for each playing day.
From the upcoming season, the prize money has also been increased as the winning team will receive INR 5 crores whereas the runners-up team will get a cheque of INR 3 crores. The losing semi-finalists will be entitled to a sum of INR 1 crore each.
Read More: Top 10 richest cricket boards in the world
