The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to equal the match fees provided by the BCCI to Ranji players. Starting next season, the Mumbai Ranji players’ pay will quadruple, with the most experienced player earning INR 1.2 lakh per day.

The BCCI currently pays INR 60,000 per day to players who have played more than 40 Ranji games, INR 50,000 to those who have played 21 to 40 games, and INR 40,000 to those who have played up to 20 games, with the reserves earning INR 30,000, INR 25,000, and INR 20,000 in the respective categories. With the MCA tripling the match price, a senior Mumbai player can earn INR 6 lakh for a five-day Ranji game [knockouts] and up to INR 50 lakh for the season if the team makes the final.

Following an Apex Council meeting where association president Amol Kale presented the plan, the MCA proudly announced “a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting the Ranji Trophy and fostering the growth of red-ball cricket in the Mumbai Cricket jurisdiction.”

The decision demonstrates the association’s ongoing commitment to red-ball cricket. Earlier this month, the MCA matched the INR 5 crore prize money for its Ranji Trophy team, which won the trophy for the record-breaking 42nd time.

“The plan gained unanimous approval from the Apex Council, demonstrating the MCA leadership’s united commitment to the promotion of cricket at all levels. It is a testament to our President’s progressive vision and his firm confidence in the value of red-ball cricket as a critical component of player development,” stated Ajinkya Naik, MCA Secretary.

“We thought that players, particularly those who play Ranji Trophy cricket, deserved to be paid more. For us, red ball cricket is very important because the Ranji Trophy has a special meaning for everyone in Mumbai,” Kale explained.