This Cricket Board Just Did What the National Body Couldn't

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-08-30

Here's something you don't see every day in sports administration. The Mumbai Cricket Association just took a massive step that's been talked about for years but never actually done. They've become the first state-level cricket body in India to implement an equal pay structure for their men's and women's players. Think about that for a second. We're talking about annual retainers—the base salary a player gets just for being in the squad—being exactly the same regardless of gender. It's not just symbolic either. They're putting real money behind the principle. ### How the Contract Grades Break Down So how does this work in practice? The MCA awarded contracts to 22 players total—14 men and 8 women. These are specifically for cricketers who aren't already centrally contracted by the national board (the BCCI) and aren't part of other national programs. They split everyone into three simple grades: - Grade A players get about $14,400 per year - Grade B contracts come in at around $9,600 annually - Grade C sits at approximately $7,200 And here's the key part: every player in a given grade earns that same base amount. No adjustments for gender. On top of that, players still collect match fees, daily allowances when they travel, and performance bonuses. The base is just that—the foundation. ### The Players Making History Let's talk about who's actually benefiting from this move. On the men's side, batter Siddhesh Lad and spin-bowling allrounder Shams Mulani lead the Grade A list. Fast bowler Mohit Avasthi joins wicketkeepers Akash Anand and Hardik Tamore in Grade B. For the women, Humaira Kazi and Vrushali Bhagat hold the two coveted Grade A spots. Sanika Chalke stands alone in Grade B, while five others including left-arm seamer Fatima Jaffer round out Grade C. You might notice there are more men than women in the program—14 versus 8. That reflects the current depth of contracted players at each level, not any difference in pay philosophy. The pay bands themselves remain strictly identical. ### A Promise Seven Years in the Making What makes this particularly interesting is how long this idea has been floating around. Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly first flagged pay parity as a priority more than seven years ago. But at the national level, the plan never really got off the ground. So Mumbai's state association decided to just do it themselves. As one insider put it, 'Sometimes you have to stop waiting for permission and just lead by example.' ### More Than Just Player Salaries The MCA didn't stop with the equal pay announcement. They also launched a scholarship fund named after Ajinkya Rahane, honoring his contribution to Mumbai and Indian cricket after his retirement earlier this year. Former MCA president Sharad Pawar has already contributed, and the fund will support grassroots cricketers across the city. This isn't the association's first move toward better compensation either. Just last season, they doubled pay for their senior men's team, meaning players earned twice as much across a domestic season as they had before. ### The Bigger Picture in Domestic Cricket There's a broader trend happening here that's worth noting. Domestic cricket—the stuff that happens outside the glamour of the IPL—has been struggling to stay financially viable for players. Several former stars have been calling for boards to prioritize this format. The BCCI recently rolled out a Test incentive scheme where a player's match fees can jump by 300% if they play in most of their team's Tests in a season. The MCA's move fits right into that same push: making sure cricket at all levels can support the athletes who play it. What happens next will be fascinating to watch. Will other state associations follow Mumbai's lead? Will this create pressure for similar changes at the national level? One thing's for sure: in Mumbai cricket right now, talent is being valued equally—and that's a win for the sport.