Mumbai: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Thursday officially rolled out a player contract system, aimed at providing financial stability to its players, a structured environment and retaining rising talent in Mumbai cricket.
HT had earlier reported about the MCA’s plan to introduce a graded contract system, along the lines of the central contracts of the national board. The decision was announced during its previous Apex Council meeting held in January.
With the structural modalities finalised, the MCA became the first association to implement a contract system for its players. The contract structure is split into three categories; Grade A set to receive between ₹12 lakh to ₹20 lakh per annum. Those in Grade B will get between ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh while Grade C players will receive ₹8 lakh.
“This initiative marks a new era for Mumbai cricket. We are proud to be the first association to implement a player contract system — a progressive step that will provide greater security, structure, and growth opportunities for our Mumbai players,” said Ajinkya Naik, the MCA president.
The MCA has also set certain eligibility criteria. Players will be selected based on their performance, fitness benchmarks, and the selection committee’s recommendations. A player must not have played for the Indian team across any format over two seasons, or picked by an IPL franchise in the past two seasons.
In addition to the annual retainer, players will also receive match fees, daily allowances, and performance-based incentives as per the MCA policy.
The MCA hopes this initiative will create a structured professional environment within the Mumbai cricket ecosystem, a strong pipeline into higher-level cricket, and nurture and retain its emerging talent.
The proposal to hand out central contracts for players was also tabled back in 2022 by the then MCA Apex Council and sent to its Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) for a detailed plan.