Guide: indian cricket player salary - BCCI, match fees, IPL

Walk into an Indian dressing room after a hard-fought Test and you’ll feel it: the pride, the fatigue, and the quiet arithmetic. Players may never talk numbers on camera, but every pro keeps a ledger in the back of their mind—retainer, match fees, domestic stints, the IPL window, endorsements. Indian cricket player salary isn’t a single figure; it’s a layered system of retainers, per-match earnings, performance incentives and market forces, anchored by the BCCI’s central contracts and amplified by the IPL.

This is the definitive, expert-level explainer of how it all fits together—updated to mirror the current BCCI system, cleanly separated for men, women, and domestic cricketers, with clear tables and plain-English math. Whether you’re a parent mapping a pathway from U-19 to Ranji, a fan comparing IPL money to India match fees, or a brand evaluating a player partnership, this is the full picture of the indian cricket team salary structure.

What decides an Indian cricketer’s earnings

BCCI central contract retainer: An annual fee paid to contracted India players, graded into bands.
India match fees: Paid per match for Tests, ODIs and T20Is; the same for men and women now.
Playing XI vs squad difference: Playing XI earn the full match fee; non-playing squad members typically receive a reduced share.
Series/tournament incentives: For specific competitions, the board may announce bonuses.
Domestic match fees: Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy pay per day/per match; senior first-class experience increases fees.
IPL salary: Separate from BCCI; a franchise contract for the league window.
Endorsements and commercial work: Separate from BCCI/IPL; driven by market value and personal brand.
State contracts/allowances: Some state units offer retainers, bonuses and per diems for domestic players.
Prize money distributions: Split policies vary by series and board decisions.

The quick snapshot: central retainers and India per-match fees

BCCI central contracts (Men – retainer)

Grade	Retainer
Grade A+	INR 7 crore
Grade A	INR 5 crore
Grade B	INR 3 crore
Grade C	INR 1 crore

BCCI central contracts (Women – retainer)

Grade	Retainer
Grade A	INR 50 lakh
Grade B	INR 30 lakh
Grade C	INR 10 lakh

India match fee per format (Men and Women – equal pay)

Format	Fee (Playing XI)
Test	INR 15 lakh per match
ODI	INR 6 lakh per match
T20I	INR 3 lakh per match

Notes

Match fees apply on a per-match basis and are credited to the players who take the field; non-playing squad members generally receive a reduced percentage.
Captains and vice-captains do not receive an additional per-match premium from BCCI beyond the standard structures.
Retainers and per-match fees are separate—the india cricket team salary per year is the sum of retainer plus match fees (and any applicable incentives).

How BCCI central contracts actually work

The heart of the bcci player salary is the central contract list that slots men’s players into Grades A+, A, B and C, and women’s players into Grades A, B and C. Placement depends on:

Performance and match participation for India
All-format value and role criticality
Fitness standards assessed by the NCA and team management
Long-term planning—formats to be prioritized for a cycle

Grade A+ is reserved for multi-format cornerstones—cricketers who shape results across conditions and formats. Grades A and B often include established stars and regulars in at least one format. Grade C captures promising and role-specific players who may not start every series but are in the core plans. The list is reviewed each cycle; names change when roles and form change, but the retainer amounts are stable and publicly known.

Retainer = base salary; match fees = variable salary

Think of the retainer as your annual base. It doesn’t change if you’re injured for a series (barring specific medical clauses) and doesn’t depend on how many matches you play. Match fees, on the other hand, are a pure function of appearances in the Playing XI for India. A batter who plays every Test and ODI in a cycle earns substantially more than someone in the same grade who plays only T20Is.

India match-fee math made easy

Test match fee: INR 15 lakh
ODI match fee: INR 6 lakh
T20I match fee: INR 3 lakh

Playing XI get the full fee. Squad members who don’t make the XI typically get a lower share (commonly half), but the exact percentage can vary by policy clarifications. Fees are credited after each series or per match window, and combined with per diems and logistical allowances handled by the team operations.

Are there incentives for Tests?

BCCI has, from time to time, introduced incentive schemes to reward consistent Test participation and excellence. These are declared through circulars and can be series- or season-specific. The principle is clear: Test cricket is the format of record, and the system is structured to reward players who invest in it across long tours. Keep that context in mind when you work out who actually earns the most from BCCI—often it’s not the biggest T20 star, but the all-format workhorse who turns up for every Test.

Who is the highest paid Indian cricketer?

The honest, on-ground answer: it depends on the mix of formats played, not just the retainer. Multiple players can sit in Grade A+ and draw the same retainer, but the highest paid indian cricketer from the BCCI sheet in a given cycle is usually the one who logs the most Tests in the Playing XI along with white-ball fixtures. The Test match fee is the highest, and a long home-and-away Test calendar can move the needle significantly.

That’s why an all-format batter who plays every Test and ODI often earns more than a superstar who is rested for bilateral ODIs or plays limited T20Is. Once you add IPL and endorsements, the overall earnings picture flips again—but if you’re asking strictly about bcci central contract salary plus India match fees, the Test-heavy regulars tend to top the table.

Grade-wise salary reality, player by player

The following snapshots explain how grade and match volume translate into money. Player names mentioned reflect top-tier cricketers commonly associated with the highest grades; exact grading can change across cycles, but the salary logic remains consistent.

Virat Kohli – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: A+
Retainer: INR 7 crore
Per match: Test 15 lakh, ODI 6 lakh, T20I 3 lakh
Reality on the ground: If he features consistently across formats, his india cricket team salary per year from BCCI alone can push well beyond the retainer because of the Test weightage. Add endorsements, and he sits in a different stratosphere entirely—but endorsements are separate from BCCI pay.

Rohit Sharma – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: A+
Retainer: INR 7 crore
Per match: Same as above
Reality: Captaining adds responsibility but not a BCCI pay premium. The numbers trend with match count. Long Test series significantly lift his BCCI income in any cycle.

Jasprit Bumrah – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: A+
Retainer: INR 7 crore
Per match: Same as above
Reality: As an all-format spearhead, his BCCI earnings are heavily linked to fitness windows and workload management. When he runs through a full Test calendar, the match-fee stack climbs fast.

Ravindra Jadeja – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: Often A
Retainer: INR 5 crore
Per match: Same as above
Reality: Because he plays all three formats frequently and is almost always in the Playing XI when fit, his match-fee total narrows the gap to A+ retainers. Add a calendar loaded with Tests and the delta can become negligible.

KL Rahul – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: A
Retainer: INR 5 crore
Reality: His income hinges on being in the XI across formats; wicketkeeping in ODIs/T20Is and middle-order roles in Tests can boost match count and thereby the overall figure.

Suryakumar Yadav – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: Between A and B depending on cycle
Retainer: INR 3–5 crore (grade-dependent)
Reality: If his role tilts toward white-ball and India play fewer Tests in a window, total BCCI earnings lean relatively lower than an all-format regular—but still stack up nicely given frequent T20Is and ODIs.

Hardik Pandya – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: A
Retainer: INR 5 crore
Reality: Workload management matters; extended white-ball runs deliver a steady stream of match fees. His IPL contract and off-field deals often dwarf the BCCI portion.

Shubman Gill – BCCI salary lens

Typical grade: A or higher depending on cycle
Retainer: INR 5–7 crore (grade-dependent)
Reality: Because he often plays across formats and is a near-constant in the XI, his match-fee accrual is strong.

The takeaway: grade A+ indian cricketer salary is the highest retainer on paper. But BCCI earnings are maximized by those who play the most India matches—especially Tests. That’s why the phrase “highest paid” needs context: BCCI-only or overall (with IPL/endorsements)?

Men’s and women’s international match fees—equal pay, same arithmetic

The BCCI’s equal pay decision brought clarity: an Indian cricketer Test match fee is the same for men and women, and so are ODI and T20I match fees. This is rare in world sport and it simplifies the india cricket team salary per match conversation across genders.

Per-match fees for India (Playing XI)

Test: INR 15 lakh
ODI: INR 6 lakh
T20I: INR 3 lakh

How it plays out in practice

A woman cricketer in Grade A who features in every T20I across a home series earns match fees identical to a male T20I player in the XI.
Retainers differ by gender. Women’s A/B/C retainers sit at INR 50/30/10 lakh, while men’s A+/A/B/C are INR 7/5/3/1 crore.
In white-ball heavy windows, per-match earnings can compress the retainer gap to some extent, especially for women regulars who play every game.

Women’s central contracts—what the grades mean

BCCI Women’s Retainer

Grade A: INR 50 lakh
Grade B: INR 30 lakh
Grade C: INR 10 lakh

Selection into these grades is driven by form, fitness, and importance to India’s plans, much like the men’s model. Long spells in the XI across formats (particularly ODIs and T20Is) drive the biggest annual totals because of the equal match-fee framework.

WPL vs BCCI salary (Women)

The Women’s Premier League added a third pillar to the earnings stack. Top WPL contracts sit in the multi-crore range, outstripping the BCCI retainer by a significant margin. For the biggest women’s stars:

BCCI retainer: tens of lakhs
India match fees: equal to men, can be substantial with heavy international schedules
WPL salary: often several multiples of the retainer
Endorsements: rising fast as the women’s game scales

Domestic cricket pay—Ranji, Vijay Hazare, and Syed Mushtaq Ali

The most misunderstood part of the salary story isn’t the glamor at the top; it’s the bedrock below. The indian domestic cricketer salary framework is decisive for thousands of professionals. It pays per day or per match, rewards experience, and sustains livelihoods between IPL windows and India call-ups.

Senior men—match fee slabs tied to first-class experience

BCCI revised domestic fees and introduced experience-based slabs. The logic is elegant: reward longevity and skill with higher per-day or per-match rates.

Senior Men Domestic Match Fees

First-Class (Ranji Trophy) – per day

Experience	Fee
Fewer than 20 first-class matches	INR 40,000
21–40 first-class matches	INR 50,000
More than 40 first-class matches	INR 60,000

List A (Vijay Hazare Trophy) – per match

INR 25,000 / INR 30,000 / INR 35,000 (aligned to the same experience slabs as above)

T20 (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) – per match

INR 15,000 / INR 17,500 / INR 20,000 (aligned to the same experience slabs)

How it stacks up across a season

A playing XI first-class cricketer with over 40 matches of experience earns INR 60,000 per day. In a four-day Ranji match, that’s INR 2.4 lakh per match.
Make knockouts, and you could add two to four matches. Add List A and T20 tournaments, and a good domestic season supports a full-time career even without IPL income.
Non-playing squad members typically receive a reduced fee; playing XI get the full amount.

Senior women—domestic match fees

Senior women’s domestic fees were also revised upward. While there are fewer first-class fixtures, the two main tournaments pay as follows:

Senior Women Domestic Match Fees

One-Day: INR 20,000 per match
T20: INR 10,000 per match

State units commonly add per diems, travel, accommodation, and in some cases, small retainers or bonuses. With the women’s game expanding, some associations also run contracts for their senior squads, especially those with WPL-linked talent pathways.

U-19 and U-23—what to expect

BCCI publishes specific youth category fees that sit below senior rates. Broadly:

U-23 players earn less than senior domestic cricketers but enough to offset expenses during long campaigns; several state units add scholarships or monthly retainers.
U-19 players receive tournament match fees and per diems structured to support participation and development.

Ask any coach at a top academy and you’ll hear the same counsel: the real money sits at senior level, but the youth ecosystem increasingly covers travel, nutrition, and logistical needs—enough to keep aspiring cricketers focused on performance.

Playing XI vs squad—why it matters at every level

From India caps to Ranji debuts, the pay slip changes the moment you’re named in the XI. That’s by design.

Playing XI: Eligible for full match fee.
Non-playing squad member: Typically paid a reduced share (commonly around half) to acknowledge preparation and bench readiness.

It creates a merit ladder: breaking into the XI is a financial milestone as much as a professional one. Over a season, that difference compounds—especially in tournaments with dense schedules.

India vs IPL: two very different economies

Fans often line up BCCI salaries against IPL contracts, but they run on different circuits.

BCCI retainer: A guaranteed annual income linked to your grade, independent of the number of India matches you play.
India match fees: Variable. More matches = more money, Tests pay the most per fixture.
IPL salary: A franchise contract for a defined window, paid by your franchise. Top Indian players sit in eight-figure rupee monthly inflows during the tournament. The highest paid ipl player across recent auctions has been in the twenty-crore bracket, with top Indian stars commonly between the low-to-high teens in crores.
Endorsements: Private deals; the most brandable cricketers often earn more off the field than on it.

Who earns more—BCCI or IPL?

For a Grade A+ or Grade A all-format India player: BCCI + match fees can form a serious base. For a white-ball specialist or a player outside the India XI for stretches, the IPL might dominate the annual ledger. On average, IPL outpaces BCCI for many T20 specialists; for all-format stalwarts playing heavy Test schedules, BCCI numbers hold their own.

India cricket team salary per match and per year—clear examples

Let’s run clean, hypothetical math using the current rates. These are illustrative models—not a prediction of any specific player’s schedule.

Scenario 1: All-format India regular (Men), Grade A+, Playing XI

Retainer: INR 7 crore
Matches: 8 Tests, 12 ODIs, 15 T20Is
Match fees: Tests 8 x 15 lakh = 1.2 crore; ODIs 12 x 6 lakh = 72 lakh; T20Is 15 x 3 lakh = 45 lakh
Total match fees: INR 2.37 crore
India earnings from BCCI: 7 + 2.37 = INR 9.37 crore (excluding incentives, bonuses, per diems)

Scenario 2: White-ball India regular (Men), Grade A, Playing XI

Retainer: INR 5 crore
Matches: 0 Tests, 18 ODIs, 20 T20Is
Match fees: ODIs 18 x 6 lakh = 1.08 crore; T20Is 20 x 3 lakh = 60 lakh
Total match fees: INR 1.68 crore
India earnings from BCCI: 5 + 1.68 = INR 6.68 crore

Scenario 3: Women’s India regular, Grade A, Playing XI

Retainer: INR 50 lakh
Matches: 1 Test, 15 ODIs, 18 T20Is
Match fees: Test 1 x 15 lakh = 15 lakh; ODIs 15 x 6 lakh = 90 lakh; T20Is 18 x 3 lakh = 54 lakh
Total match fees: INR 1.59 crore
India earnings from BCCI: 0.5 + 1.59 = INR 2.09 crore

Scenario 4: Ranji stalwart with high experience slab (Men)

First-class experience: >40 matches
Ranji season: 8 matches x 4 days = 32 days
Ranji fee: 32 x 60,000 = INR 19.2 lakh
Add List A: 8 matches x 35,000 = INR 2.8 lakh
Add T20: 10 matches x 20,000 = INR 2.0 lakh
Domestic total: ~INR 24 lakh (plus per diems, travel; knockout runs can add more)

This is the everyday life of a career domestic pro—solid earnings that can underwrite the pursuit of higher honors.

Net worth vs salary—don’t mix the two

A frequent SEO rabbit hole confuses net worth with the salary of indian cricketers. Net worth includes assets, investments, brand equity, equity stakes, real estate, business ventures, historical earnings and more. Salary refers to your current BCCI retainer and match fees (plus, separately, IPL and endorsement contracts). A Grade A+ player’s “salary” may be a fraction of their net worth at any time.

How BCCI chooses grades and what can change

You will not find a formal formula in public. But after covering multiple contract cycles and speaking with insiders over the years, here’s how selection into central contracts usually plays out:

Format footprint: Multi-format players have a stronger case for higher grades.
Availability: Fitness, workload management, and year-round contribution are considered.
Impact: Match-winning ability, role flexibility, leadership bandwidth.
Future planning: A younger player with a long runway may be rewarded for strategic reasons.
Discipline and NCA benchmarks: Meeting fitness and professional standards matters.

The final list is signed off by BCCI leadership in consultation with selectors, coaches and the NCA. Grades can swing up or down with form and team balance. Retainer amounts rarely change; the names in each grade do.

Equal pay in action: why it’s bigger than a headline

Equal match fees for women and men isn’t tokenism; it rewires ambition. If you’re a young woman in domestic cricket, your pathway now leads to the same per-match compensation at the top as a male peer. When that sits alongside the WPL’s ecosystem—bigger crowds, better broadcast windows, and multi-crore contracts—you get a pipeline effect. Expect the women’s india cricket match fee to become a gateway, not a ceiling.

State associations, contracts, and prize money

A hidden but crucial layer:

Several state units offer annual retainers to their senior squads and even emerging players; these vary widely in size and policy.
Prize money from BCCI tournaments is distributed by states, often with a large share reserved for the players. Knockout runs can deliver meaningful bonuses.
Per diems and travel allowances are standardized but differ slightly across associations depending on logistics.

ICC prize money share for Team India

When India claims prize money at ICC events, the distribution policy is set by BCCI. This usually involves a portion for the players and a portion for the board. Exact splits can vary by event and board resolution. It’s not a “salary” component; it’s tournament-specific income, but it shows up on the season ledger for players who feature deeply in global tournaments.

Salary of Indian cricketers vs other boards

Australia’s centrally contracted players are paid by Cricket Australia in Australian dollars with an MOU-driven revenue share; England runs ECB contracts with red- and white-ball categories. Pakistan’s PCB uses graded central contracts with currency dynamics affecting effective pay. On a straight conversion, BCCI match fees and Grade A+ retainers sit at the top end of the world scale—fueled by Indian cricket’s commercial engine. That’s before counting IPL, which is a separate marketplace entirely.

Player-by-player snapshots: salary context beyond the headline

Virat Kohli

BCCI: Grade A+ retainer plus match fees across formats when in the XI.
IPL: Long-standing marquee contract.
Endorsements: Among the highest in Indian sport; many times the BCCI component.
Reality: If you’re searching for “virat kohli bcci salary per year,” remember that his BCCI earnings are a small slice of his overall annual inflow, which is driven by brand deals and the IPL.

Rohit Sharma

BCCI: Grade A+ retainer; match-fee haul swells with long Test runs.
IPL: High-value retention; brand value buoyed by leadership profile.
Reality: From a pure BCCI lens, Tests move his number more than most fans realize.

Jasprit Bumrah

BCCI: Grade A+, bolstered income in Test-heavy calendars.
IPL: Elite fast-bowler contract bracket.
Reality: Workload management influences match-fee accumulation, but a full season with major Test series makes the BCCI line item pop.

Ravindra Jadeja

BCCI: Grade A, but plays like A+ in terms of match-time; the retainer gap narrows with fees.
IPL: Premium all-rounder contract.
Reality: Across a calendar heavy with Tests and ODIs, Jadeja’s BCCI earnings can rival some A+ names.

KL Rahul

BCCI: Grade A; versatility across formats increases match count and fees.
IPL: Frontline top-order wicketkeeper-batter profile attracts high valuation.
Reality: Leadership roles and adaptability ensure steady inflow from both BCCI and IPL.

Suryakumar Yadav

BCCI: Grade A or B depending on cycle; T20I magnet.
IPL: One of the most valuable T20 batters in India.
Reality: In a T20-dominant schedule, his IPL contract and endorsements overshadow BCCI, but India match fees build up fast across bilateral T20I blocks.

Hardik Pandya

BCCI: Grade A; white-ball mainstay.
IPL: One of the league’s cornerstone Indian players.
Reality: For Hardik, IPL plus brand partnerships can be the major share, with BCCI forming a strong base through the retainer and white-ball fees.

Shubman Gill

BCCI: Grade A or higher per cycle; all-format footprint.
IPL: Elite top-order profile.
Reality: His age plus format spread mean his BCCI trend line is steeply upward when he logs full Test series.

Domestic stalwarts to India fringe—the salary hinge

There’s an entire tier of players who don’t stay in the India XI year-round but are among the best in domestic cricket. Their annual income pattern looks like this:

Domestic base: 15–25 lakh from Ranji/List A/T20, depending on the number of matches, experience slab and progress to knockouts.
State retainer and prize money: Variable, sometimes significant.
IPL: The swing factor. A capped domestic star with a mid-tier IPL contract can transform a year. An uncapped player with a smart franchise fit can jump to a multi-crore bracket overnight.
India call-ups: Even a handful of international appearances boosts the BCCI line item—especially if Tests are involved.

BCCI salary list, simplified into a table

Central Contract Retainers (Men)

Grade	Retainer
Grade A+	INR 7 crore
Grade A	INR 5 crore
Grade B	INR 3 crore
Grade C	INR 1 crore

Central Contract Retainers (Women)

Grade	Retainer
Grade A	INR 50 lakh
Grade B	INR 30 lakh
Grade C	INR 10 lakh

India Match Fees (Men and Women, Playing XI)

Format	Fee (Playing XI)
Test	INR 15 lakh per match
ODI	INR 6 lakh per match
T20I	INR 3 lakh per match

Domestic Match Fees (Senior Men)

Ranji Trophy (per day)

Experience	Fee
<20 FC matches	INR 40,000
21–40 FC matches	INR 50,000
>40 FC matches	INR 60,000

Vijay Hazare Trophy (per match)

INR 25,000 / INR 30,000 / INR 35,000 (same experience slabs)

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (per match)

INR 15,000 / INR 17,500 / INR 20,000 (same experience slabs)

Domestic Match Fees (Senior Women)

One-Day: INR 20,000 per match
T20: INR 10,000 per match

What about head coach, support staff, umpires, selectors?

These sit outside the player salary framework but matter to the ecosystem.

India head coach: Widely reported in the eight-figure rupee range annually, with performance bonuses and event-linked add-ons. Exact numbers are contract-specific.
Batting/bowling/fielding coaches: Senior support staff receive high seven- to eight-figure rupee annual packages, depending on tenure and scope.
NCA roles: The National Cricket Academy’s top roles (head, lead coaches, physios, S&C) command competitive salaries; figures vary by appointment.
IPL coaches and support staff: Negotiated by franchises; elite head coaches and director roles can command multi-crore contracts.
Umpires: BCCI panel umpires are paid per match with additional retainers for elite panel appointments. Fees scale with format and panel tier.
Selectors: Reportedly in the high seven-figure to low eight-figure rupee bracket annually, with the chair earning more than panel members.

These figures fluctuate with appointments and board policy. Treat them as ranges, not fixed tags.

How to estimate an Indian cricketer’s annual earnings

Break the numbers into four buckets:

BCCI retainer
- Fixed for the contract cycle; depends on grade.
India match fees
- Tests: INR 15 lakh each
- ODIs: INR 6 lakh each
- T20Is: INR 3 lakh each
- Apply Playing XI status. If benched, use the reduced squad share.
IPL contract
- Use the franchise contract value.
Endorsements and other income
- Variable; often the largest share for top stars.

Example: Grade A player who plays 6 Tests, 10 ODIs, 10 T20Is; IPL at INR 12 crore

Retainer: INR 5 crore
Match fees: 6 x 15 = 90 lakh; 10 x 6 = 60 lakh; 10 x 3 = 30 lakh; total = INR 1.8 crore
BCCI total: 6.8 crore
IPL: 12 crore
Endorsements: depends on profile (often multi-crore)
Annual total (salary + fees): 18.8 crore before endorsements and taxes

For women, swap the retainer and keep match fees unchanged; add WPL instead of IPL.

Why Tests are the quiet king of BCCI pay

Because a single Test equals two-and-a-half ODIs or five T20Is in match-fee terms. If you’re in the XI for a five-match Test series, you’re essentially stacking the equivalent of twenty-five T20Is in fees. That’s the reason an all-format men’s batter who plays every Test can out-earn a white-ball-only specialist in the BCCI column, even if their retainers are identical.

The endorsement flywheel

Brands chase relevance and trust. In Indian cricket that typically means:

All-format captains and A+ batters lead in brand outlay
White-ball superstars with viral highlights drive social metrics and T20 brand deals
Test specialists with cult followings attract premium but fewer deals
Women’s cricket is a fast-growing endorsement market, with WPL visibility supercharging it

These flows don’t change the bcci salary list, but they shape the player’s annual finances more than anything else besides the IPL.

Common myths, corrected

“Captains get extra BCCI pay.” Not as a default. Leadership may bring bonuses for specific tournament victories or board resolutions, but the plan is grade + match fees.
“Bench players don’t get paid.” They do, just not the full match fee. Preparation and readiness are compensated, albeit at a lower rate.
“Domestic cricket doesn’t pay enough to be a profession.” For senior men with experience and consistent selection, the earnings are sustainable, especially when you factor state support and prize money. The pathway is demanding, but it’s viable.
“Women cricketers earn less per India match.” Not anymore. The match fee is equal. The retainer is lower, but WPL contracts and a rising endorsement market are balancing the equation quickly.

FAQs: short, straight answers

What is the salary of indian cricketer Grade A+?
- Retainer of INR 7 crore, plus per-match fees: Test 15 lakh, ODI 6 lakh, T20I 3 lakh for Playing XI.
What is India Test match fee?
- INR 15 lakh for Playing XI, for both men and women.
What is India ODI match fee and T20 match fee?
- ODI: INR 6 lakh; T20I: INR 3 lakh for Playing XI, equal for men and women.
Do Indian cricketers get paid per match and retainer both?
- Yes. Retainer is fixed by grade; per-match fees are added on top.
Who is the highest paid Indian cricketer?
- From BCCI alone, typically an A+ or A player who plays the most Tests and ODIs in the XI. Overall earnings often tilt toward those with the biggest IPL contracts and endorsements.
What is the salary of Indian women cricketers?
- Retainer: Grade A = 50 lakh, Grade B = 30 lakh, Grade C = 10 lakh. Match fees equal to men: Test 15 lakh, ODI 6 lakh, T20I 3 lakh.
What is Ranji Trophy match fee?
- Senior men: per day INR 40,000 / 50,000 / 60,000 depending on first-class experience. Playing XI get full per-day fees; squad members receive a reduced share.
What is Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali match fee?
- Senior men, per match: Vijay Hazare INR 25,000 / 30,000 / 35,000 and Syed Mushtaq INR 15,000 / 17,500 / 20,000 based on the same experience slabs.
Is the IPL salary part of BCCI salary?
- No. IPL contracts are paid by franchises and sit outside BCCI retainers and match fees.
How are BCCI grades decided?
- Performance, multi-format value, availability, fitness standards, and long-term planning. Finalized by BCCI with inputs from selectors, coaches, and the NCA.

India vs Pakistan vs Australia salary comparison—where does BCCI stand?

Direct comparisons must factor currency and contract models. Still, a few truths hold:

BCCI match fees and A+ retainers are among the highest in world cricket.
IPL is a separate, massive driver that doesn’t have an equivalent in most countries.
CA and ECB run robust central contract systems, but the sheer commercial scale of Indian cricket gives BCCI players greater aggregate earning potential.

Hinglish corner: quick numbers fans ask for

भारतीय क्रिकेट खिलाड़ी की सैलरी: ग्रेड A+ रिटेनर 7 करोड़; मैच फीस टेस्ट 15 लाख, ODI 6 लाख, T20I 3 लाख (प्लेइंग XI).
इंडियन क्रिकेट टीम सैलरी (पर मैच): पुरुष और महिला दोनों के लिए समान—टेस्ट 15 लाख, ODI 6 लाख, T20I 3 लाख.
बीसीसीआई सैलरी लिस्ट: पुरुष—A+ 7Cr, A 5Cr, B 3Cr, C 1Cr; महिला—A 50L, B 30L, C 10L.
रणजी ट्रॉफी मैच फीस: अनुभव के हिसाब से प्रति दिन 40–60 हजार.

The broader ecosystem: why the structure matters

Ask any state selector or NCA coach what keeps the conveyor belt humming. It’s this:

Clear, predictable central contracts at the top (motivation and stability)
Equal match fees for women (parity and aspiration)
Meaningful domestic pay with experience incentives (retention and development)
The IPL and WPL windows (exposure and financial acceleration)
State and BCCI investment in physio/S&C infrastructures (career longevity)

The english scorecard doesn’t show it, but the economics of Indian cricket directly shape tactical and career decisions. A batter may choose to sit out a white-ball series to arrive fresh for a five-Test marathon; a seamer might target a domestic season to build first-class experience and move into the highest Ranji fee slab while sharpening the red-ball craft that unlocks Grade A/A+ money later.

Putting it all together: a salary playbook for Indian cricket

Men

Aim for Grade A/A+ through multi-format consistency.
Tests are the BCCI money multiplier; play them well and often.
IPL is a separate, massive pillar—complement it, don’t chase it at the cost of long-term durability.

Women

Equal match fees amplify the value of every India appearance.
WPL offers a fast-lane to multi-crore incomes; international consistency keeps the earnings stable.

Domestic pros

Build first-class experience to graduate slabs; stack days, not just matches.
State contracts, prize money and per diems matter—stay plugged into your association’s policies.
A breakout Syed Mushtaq or Vijay Hazare season can be your IPL audition.

Closing thoughts

Indian cricket’s pay structure is a mosaic: the bcci central contract salary gives you a base; the india cricket match fee test odi t20 engine rewards time in the XI; domestic slabs provide a sustainable platform; the IPL and WPL inject acceleration; endorsements crown the very top.

Strip the noise, and the signal is simple. The system pays for commitment, for skill across formats, and for durability. That’s why the route to the top—whether your name is Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Smriti Mandhana, or the next kid in whites grinding through a sixth day at the NCA—runs through the same math: earn your grade, play more matches, maximize Tests, respect the body, and let performance light up the rest of the ledger.