Sunil Gavaskar urges hike in Ranji Trophy match fees in wake of India's Champions Trophy win: 'If only other states...'

Sunil Gavaskar said that state associations should put the subsidy they receive annually from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to good use.

Sunil Gavaskar has urged state associations to increase the match fees that are paid to their players in domestic cricket. Gavaskar said that those who play in the Ranji need a pay hike. The India batting great made the point in a column after talking about parents increasingly seeing cricket as a viable career option for their kids.

Dubai: Former cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar before the start of the One Day International (ODI) cricket match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between India and Bangladesh, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai, UAE, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore) (PTI02_20_2025_000097A)(PTI)

"The Ranji Trophy fees per match could do with another increase for the next season since the difference between what an ordinary uncapped but lucky player gets for the IPL and what a truly hard-working Ranji Trophy player earns is huge," said Gavaskar in a column for Sportstar.

"If only other State teams could follow the example of the Mumbai Cricket Association and give a matching amount of fees to what the BCCI gives, then the players would get a really good amount commensurate with the number of days they play."

Gavaskar said that state associations should put the subsidy they receive annually from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to good use. "Every State Association gets a hefty subsidy annually from the BCCI, and most of it stays put in a bank instead of being invested in infrastructure building and the development of the game, which is why it is given. So, the States can afford to match the fees that BCCI gives for its Ranji Trophy teams. The good news is that there are more and more administrators coming through who love the game and are very aware of the need to promote and encourage their teams," said Gavaskar.

Healthy structures, more trophies

The former India captain further stated that a healthy state cricket structure leads to better health in the top levels of the domestic circuit. This would in turn lead to India winning more titles, like the Champions Trophy they won on Sunday. “Hopefully, this will translate into good players not leaving the game for alternate careers and staying on to make State cricket, and thereby Indian cricket, stronger by the day — so it continues to win more trophies like Rohit and his boys have done,” said Gavaskar.