Players’ salary hike: Kohli, Dhoni to lead talks with BCCI
We have modified it and have started a process where we consult the players. We had two rounds of consultations. VINOD RAI, CoA chief on contracts
NAGPUR: Skipper Virat Kohli has demanded a greater share of India’s growing cricket wealth for players ahead of contract talks this week, said officials.
Top players saw their annual basic deals doubled to $300,000 (~1.93 crore approx) this year.
But the squad, which is due to hold talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Delhi on Friday, wants more after the governing body struck a huge new television deal in September.
The BCCI will get $2.5 billion (~1610.83 crore approx) from Rupert Murdoch’s Star India channel to show the Indian Premier League from 2018 to 2022.
Player contracts expired on September 30 and salaries are one of the key negotiating points.
A senior BCCI official said “the players want a raise” and that Kohli will lead the talks with former captain MS Dhoni and coach Ravi Shastri.
They will meet BCCI administrator Vinod Rai to discuss pay and the packed cricket calendar which Kohli has also criticised.
“It’s always healthy to be transparent and that’s what BCCI is trying to be. Kohli and the players are always welcome to put their point across,” said the official.
Rai, head of the Committee of Administrators, was appointed by the Supreme Court to run the BCCI and reform the world’s wealthiest cricket body.
Currently the national squad has three salary grades, with Kohli and other senior players at the top. “We have modified it and have started a process where we consult the players,” said Rai.
“We had two rounds of consultations and we will do another one just before the Delhi Test,” Rai added.
Rai has backed Kohli’s criticism of the scheduling of tours and the issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting.
Kohli had hit out at BCCI, ahead of the second Test in Nagpur, for better planning of tours, especially ahead of an important series in South Africa starting in January. India finish their home series against Sri Lanka on December 24 with the third T20 before leaving for South Africa on December 28.