The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its plan to increase prize money for all its domestic tournaments starting from the 2023/24 season. The move is part of BCCI’s efforts to invest in domestic cricket, which they consider the backbone of Indian cricket. BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, announced the changes in prize money across various tournaments and also shared the news on his Twitter handle.
According to the announcement, the Ranji Trophy winners, India’s premier first-class tournament, will now receive INR 5 crore, a significant increase from the previous amount of INR 2 crore. The prize money for the Vijay Hazare Trophy winners has also been increased to INR 1 crore. The BCCI has also revamped the prize money for runner-ups and losing semi-finalists of the Ranji Trophy. Women’s domestic cricket tournaments have also seen a sharp increase in prize money, with the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy winners now receiving INR 50 lakh, up from INR 6 lakh, while the Women’s T20 Trophy winners will get INR 40 lakh.
Saurashtra, the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 winners, received INR 2 crore, while the runner-up West Bengal won INR 1 crore. The announcement of increased prize money comes after the recent schedule announcement of the upcoming domestic season 2023/24 on April 15. The season will begin with the Duleep Trophy on June 28, followed by Prof. Deodhar Trophy. The Ranji Trophy will start on January 5, and the final will be played on March 14, 2024, with the tournament being played across six zones – Central, South, North, East, West, and North-East zones, respectively.
The renowned Irani Cup will begin on October 1, 2023, with teams Rest of India and Ranji champion Saurashtra taking on each other. The Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will comprise 38 teams, which will be divided into two groups of seven teams and three groups consisting of eight teams in total for limited-overs domestic matches. Both tournaments will start on October 16 and December 15, 2023, respectively.
The increase in prize money for domestic tournaments will be welcomed by the players and teams, as it will provide them with more incentives and rewards for their performances. The move by the BCCI also shows its commitment to developing domestic cricket and promoting the growth of the sport at the grassroots level. With these changes, the BCCI aims to make domestic cricket more attractive and competitive, leading to the emergence of new talents and a stronger Indian cricket team.
BCCI’s decision to increase prize money for domestic tournaments from the 2023/24 season is a positive step towards promoting domestic cricket and encouraging players to perform at their best. The move is expected to motivate players and teams to strive for excellence, leading to the growth and development of Indian cricket.
