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'Double Or Triple Ranji Fees' - Sunil Gavaskar Urges BCCI for Reforms in Domestic Cricket

Sunil Gavaskar has suggested measures to save domestic cricketSunil Gavaskar has suggested measures to save domestic cricket

In a huge statement to advocate for the betterment of domestic cricketers, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to substantially increase the compensation for players within the first-class cricket scene.

This comes after the BCCI's recent initiative to incentivize Test players, a move Gavaskar appreciates but believes does not go far enough in supporting the crucial nursery for India's future Test stars—the Ranji Trophy.

Sunil Gavaskar's bold call for better compensation of domestic cricketers

Highlighting the massive role of the Ranji Trophy in the development of Test cricket talent, Sunil Gavaskar argued for a significant hike in player salaries for the competition. 

According to him, boosting the pay to two or three times the current rate would not only encourage greater participation in India's premier first-class cricket tournament but also reduce the instances of players withdrawing for various reasons, thereby ensuring a stronger and more committed player base.

"That is a wonderful thing by the BCCI to reward those who would be playing, but I would also request the BCCI to ensure that the feeder to the Test team, which is the Ranji Trophy, is also looked after. If the Ranji Trophy fees can be doubled or tripled, certainly there'll be a lot more people playing the Ranji Trophy, and a lot less pullouts from the Ranji Trophy, because if the fees of playing a Ranji Trophy match are a good fee, there will be fewer people pulling out for various reasons,” said Gavaskar as quoted by Cricbuzz.



Further pointing out the need for a revamped scheduling, the former India captain suggested kicking off the Ranji Trophy season in October. This adjustment would provide players ample preparation time for the Indian Premier League (IPL), aligning with the career priorities of many cricketers today.

"My personal opinion is to have the Ranji Trophy from October to mid-December and then bring in the white-ball tournaments. That way, everybody will be available to play except for the ones featuring for India. There will be no real excuse to pull out. With the one-dayers beginning from January, people who are in the IPL can have enough practice from then," added the erstwhile cricketer.

His comments come in the wake of Ishan Kishan's absence from Jharkhand's Ranji Trophy lineup, a decision that led to his exclusion from the BCCI's central contracts. 

By restructuring the domestic cricket calendar to start with the Ranji Trophy and follow up with white-ball tournaments, Gavaskar feels that players would have no justifiable reason to skip domestic duties, thus strengthening Indian cricket from the grassroots to the international level.