“Most of it stays put in a bank” - Sunil Gavaskar’s massive statement on pay disparity ahead of IPL 2025

Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has urged the state associations to make the most of the annual subsidy from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to enhance domestic cricket even further. The governing body has prioritized first-class and List-A cricket more than ever, even mandating contracted players to partake in competition, when not on national duty.

A strong foundation in the form of domestic cricket, among other factors, has been a huge reason behind Team India's recent success. The recent spike in revenue through broadcasting and sponsors has also benefitted the state associations and its players.

Gavaskar, however, feels that given the scale of money infused into domestic cricket, the state association can do a better job of taking care of their players as well as upgrading facilities.

"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," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Despite being a lucrative medium, domestic cricket is struggling to keep up with the Indian Premier League (IPL) concerning relevance and pay scale. Team India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy recently highlighted how playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy helped him.

"If only other State teams could follow the example of the Mumbai Cricket Association" - Sunil Gavaskar

The BCCI revamped the pay structure in domestic cricket after the COVID lockdown in 2021, and again in 2024. The recent pay hike, which saw senior players earning up to INR 60,000 per day, has been matched by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). This comes across as a major incentive for the domestic heavyweights as the changes came into play ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Gavaskar urged other state associations to follow suit since he feels hard-working domestic players should earn close, if not as much, as an 'uncapped lucky' player in the IPL.

"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. 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 wrote.

The 2024-25 domestic season recently ended with the Ranji Trophy, where Vidarbha defeated Kerala in Nagpur.