BCCI Takes Grand Initiative To Build Brighter Future

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia having a chat with reporters (Source: AFP Photos)The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday (September 17) made a historic decision in order to take India’s domestic cricket to a greater heights.The decisions, as revealed by TOI, will be taken into account as soon as the coming Ranji Trophy 26/27, which will begin on October 11.BCCI Set To Hike Salaries Of Umpires, Match OfficialsAcross all the competitions in India’s domestic circuit, the BCCI will increase salaries of match officials and match referees. They will also restructure the domestic umpires’ panel.Needless to say, a better salary will help the BCCI to function each and every match in a better way. The financial motivation will largely boost the quality of umpires and match officials for better decisions on the field."We have decided to revise the pay structure of domestic umpires and match referees from the 2026-27 domestic season. We have also decided to restructure the panel of domestic umpires," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by TOI.Also Read: BCCI Identifies Virat Kohli's Long Term Replacement In India ODI SquadThe BCCI will also have the annual general meeting scheduled at its HQ on Friday. More likely, it will all be official once the meeting is concluded.What Are Umpire's Current Salary By BCCI?Currently, BCCI gives salary of INR 40000 per day to their top 20 umpires whenever there are First-Class matches. The others get INR 30000 per day for the same doing.For T20s, the per day salary is fixed for all: INR 20000. In addition, they get INR 1500 per day for officiating outstation matches, and give around INR 500-1000 to local umpires. This time around, there will be four Grades, as revealed by TOI."The domestic umpires will be divided into four grades-A, B, C and D. Grades A and B will be reserved for umpires officiating in senior domestic tournaments, while the other two grades will have umpires standing in junior tournaments," a source told TOI.How Umpires Help Make Cricket Better?Irrespective of wherever cricket is happening, it is always important to have a error free on-field decisions.Earlier, there were multiple controversies regarding the same concerns, for which cricket began to take the help of the technology going forward.There are still the likes of DRS, among other things, to rectify on-field errors if it’s there. However, finance is something which helps humans more than anything else.This is how the BCCI can shape a better future for cricket in India. Players often feel right whenever decisions are made in a right manner.Now time will tell whether the rise of the salary, which has not been known yet, would be enough for BCCI umpires to uplift them. Once the numbers get revealed, the story will be clearer.Also Read: Vipraj Nigam Not The Best! Indian Players Who Should've Been In Asian Games 2026