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    Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer's defiance will force BCCI to bring in a revised pay structure, bonus for regular Test players
Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer's defiance will force BCCI to bring in a revised pay structure, bonus for regular Test players
Ishan Kishan, by news18.com

Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer's defiance will force BCCI to bring in a revised pay structure, bonus for regular Test players

In the wake of Ishan Kishan ignoring the team management's call to play domestic cricket, the BCCI is reportedly set to introduce a new salary structure.

Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's decision to skip the Ranji Trophy to prepare for the IPL, despite repeated warnings from the BCCI, could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the other Test regulars. First Kishan and then Iyer decided to ignore direct orders from the Indian team management to play domestic red-ball cricket. Kishan had no communication with the Jharkhand Cricket Association, while Iyer told Mumbai that he had a back injury. This was denied by Nitin Patel, the NCA's head of sports science and medicine. Patel's stated that Iyer had no fresh injuries and was fit for the game.

Kishan has not played Test cricket since last year's home series against Australia, while Iyer, though healthy, was dropped from the Test squad after scoring poorly in the format.

The fact that this came just days after BCCI secretary Jay Shah had issued an official letter to all boards and their contract players on the importance of playing domestic red-ball cricket when they are fit was even more worrying for the board. The BCCI has now decided to come up with a revised salary structure to reward Test cricketers, according to a report in the Indian Express.

What will the new salary scale be?

The decision comes after Kishan ignored the team management's calls to play domestic cricket and instead opted to prepare for the IPL, which starts next month, the report added.

As per the current salary structure, an Indian international gets ₹15 lakh as a match fee for a Test, ₹6 lakh per ODI, and ₹3 lakh per T20I. This could change with a new remuneration model proposing bonuses for Test regulars.

A source privy to the new salary structure was quoted as saying in the report:

“For example, if someone plays all Test series in a calendar year, he should be rewarded additionally, apart from the annual retainer contract. This is to ensure that players turn out for more red-ball cricket. This would be an additional perk for playing Test cricket."

The bonus will apply if a player remains fit and in form to play in all of India's Test series in a calendar year. This extra money will encourage youngsters to give the longest format of the game equal importance in the era of T20 leagues and internationals. Skipping domestic cricket to stay fresh for the IPL has become a growing phenomenon among young players, even though centrally contracted Indian cricketers are not allowed to play in overseas leagues.

If approved, this change in the salary structure for Indian players will be in place after the 2024 IPL.

Rohit Sharma says he wants players with hunger to play Test cricket

Earlier, it was reported that the BCCI was also considering making red-ball cricket mandatory for players to be eligible for the IPL.

Notably, the importance of playing red-ball cricket was also stressed by India captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit said that only players who have the "hunger" to succeed in Test cricket will get a chance to play the country's longest format.

India beat England by five wickets in the fourth Test in Ranchi to take the five-match series 3-1. The fifth and final Test will be played in Dharamsala.

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