Indian Players Whose BCCI Central Contract Is Higher Than That Of Their Current IPL Contract

The Indian players earn plenty from the IPL contract, as well from the BCCI central contract. A couple of things are well accepted and are doubtlessly true – that the IPL is the biggest T20 league in the world, and that the BCCI is the richest cricket board world cricket.

Being the most expensive T20 league, one would expect its players, especially the ones who are international cricketers, to be paid handsomely by their franchises. However, forget about overseas, there are even some Indian cricketers who make more money from their BCCI contract than they do from their IPL price.

Indian Players Whose BCCI Central Contract Is Higher Than That Of Their Current IPL Contract (All figures in INR):

Cheteshwar Pujara – IPL 50 Lakhs, BCCI Contract – (Grade A – 5 Crores)

First up is none other than India’s Test team’s batting backbone, Cheteshwar Pujara. The right-hander returned to the IPL for the first time since 2014, as he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in the auction for IPL 2021.

Pujara, who has over 6000 Test runs and was a key architect of India’s twin Test series win in Australia, was roped in by the MS Dhoni-led franchise for 50 lakhs. Which is one-tenth of what he makes from BCCI’s Grade A central contract.

Mohammed Shami – IPL 4.8 Crores, BCCI Contract – (Grade A – 5 Crores)

Senior India pacer Mohammed Shami has been with the Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab) since IPL 2018 for 4.8 Crores per season, which is slightly less than the worth of his Grade A contract with the BCCI that is for 5 crores.

For Punjab, Shami has picked 47 wickets so far; making his India debut in 2013, the right-arm pacer has 180 Test wickets, and 148 ODI scalps, including a hat-trick in the 2019 World Cup.

Ishant Sharma – IPL 1.1 Crores, BCCI Contract – (Grade A – 5 Crores)

Ishant Sharma has been a long servant of the Indian team. Now a Test specialist, Ishant, who made his international debut in 2007, sits on over 300 Test wickets in over 100 matches, which is a great achievement for a pacer.

Ishant Sharma is placed in BCCI’s Grade A contract, worth 5 crores – which is about a little less than 5 times his current IPL contract with the Delhi Capitals.

Mayank Agarwal – IPL 1 Crore, BCCI Contract – (Grade B – 3 Crores)

Although Mayank Agarwal has lost his place in the Test side to Shubman Gill, the right-hander remains on the fringes of the side as a backup option. In the latest BCCI contract, Agarwal is positioned in the Grade B category, which will see him getting paid 3 crores from the board.

This amount of 3 crores is thrice that of his IPL contract with the Punjab Kings, with whom he has been playing since 2018 IPL. He has scored 1052 Test runs in 14 Tests at an impressive average of 45.73; in the IPL for Punjab, Agarwal has recorded 1136 runs at a strike rate of 145.08.

Wriddhiman Saha – IPL 1.2 Crores, BCCI Contract – (Grade B – 3 Crores)

Wriddhiman Saha is currently the backup ‘keeper in both India’s Test eleven, to Rishabh Pant, and in the Sunrisers Hyderabad eleven, to Jonny Bairstow. Saha has been with SRH since IPL 2018 and has scored 430 runs in 22 innings which came infrequently.

The BCCI pays him 3 crores as he is booked in the Grade B category; this amount of money is more than twice what he gets from SRH, which is 1.2 crores. Saha last played for India in the Adelaide Test last year, and since then Rishabh Pant has emphatically taken over his spot.

Umesh Yadav – IPL 1 Crore, BCCI Contract – (Grade B – 3 Crores)

The Delhi Capitals purchased Umesh Yadav’s services in the IPL 2021 auction for 1 crore after he was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore having featured in just a couple of games last season in the UAE; he wasn’t picked for a single game so far in the suspended IPL 2021.

Umesh Yadav is amongst the second-choice bowlers in the Test side – behind Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Shami, and now perhaps Mohammed Siraj as well. The BCCI has put him in the Grade B bracket where he is paid 3 crores – which is thrice that of his IPL salary.

Shardul Thakur – IPL 2.6 Crores, BCCI Contract – (Grade B – 3 Crores)

Shardul Thakur has made huge gains in the last few months. Apart from his variation-ladened bowling, he showed enough batting evidence in the Brisbane Test for being considered in a bowling all-rounder’s role.

Thakur is in the Grade B contract (3 crores) with the BCCI, which is a little more than his 2.6 crore IPL contract he has had with the Chennai Super Kings since 2018. Thakur is a regular member of CSK’s bowling attack and is pushing his case well for the national side.