The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is scheduled to launch a major review of its compensation structure for female cricketers, when their Apex Council convenes on December 22nd 2025 and will hold an online annual meeting. As part of this long-awaited review, the BCCI is expected to consider how to grade central contracts that are given to senior male players, including batsmen like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma–whose staying at the top within the elite structure been an issue of debate among Indian the cricketing world.

The gathering, which was traditionally an administrative event it has taken more importance in the wake of growing calls for reforms to the structure of the way that women’s players in the country are compensated and are supported. The meeting will also mark the first large-scale policy meeting under the direction of newly chosen BCCI chief Mithun Manhas who took office on September 20, 2025. Sources within the BCCI suggest that a number of reforms aimed at modernizing the sport in its home country and make it more compatible with modern needs of the game will be relegated to the table.

The Rising Momentum of Women’s Cricket in India

In recent times the women’s game in India has seen a tremendous growth on the field and public involvement. The Indian women’s winning team’s performance at the ICC Women’s World Cup ODI 2025 has captivated the entire country, attracting record viewing figures and widespread praise across media platforms. The awe-inspiring win has increased the scrutiny of current national policies as well as pay systems that regulate the game at both grassroots or first-class level.

Despite these achievements across the globe there are still significant differences in comparing pay rates for domestic cricketers of women versus the male players. Recent reports have revealed the fact that women’s domestic match fees are typically lower than those lower-end payments for men’s domestic players. For instance, men’s reserve players were sometimes paid more than the main squad women players under earlier contract frameworks.

While the BCCI established pay parity for the women’s and men’s teams on a global level, the parity is not uniformly extended to domestic tournaments. In the current arrangement, international women get match fees that are roughly equal to the men’s counterparts however, women’s pay in the domestic arena–especially game fees in zonal tournaments and first-class fixtures lags behind significantly. There is no structured compensation policy for domestic matches has been described by those who are involved as an “structural anomaly” which makes it difficult for women who are interested in cricket to play the sport at a full time.

According to people familiar with BCCI’s internal discussions officials from clubs as well as former athletes have consistently requested the BCCI board to reconsider the fees women pay for domestic matches following the team’s success in international competitions. There are signs that the meeting on December 22 will be examining proposals to increase match fees, and possibly introduce the concept of performance-based bonuses for women’s domestic tournaments.

Domestic Pay Review and Competitive Parity

The most important agenda item of agenda of the Apex Council’s agenda is the examination of match fees for domestic matches and retainers for female cricketers. This move, which is largely embraced by female teams as well as fans of the sport, seeks to close the gap between the international and domestic pay scales.

As of now, the central retainers for women are considerably lower than the smallest tier retained by men. According to reports, women’s top contract bracket is 50 lakhs annually which is being followed by lower brackets at thirty lakh and Rs 10 lakh as well. Contrary to this, central contracts for males are structured in four levels: A+ (approximately 7 crore rupees) A B, C, and A–with the lowest band significantly higher than the top band for women’s contracts.

One of the primary factors driving this review is the desire to ensure that compensation is aligned with the success of competition and participation requirements. With expanded domestic engagements–including the recent revival of the senior women’s zonal red-ball tournament. It has become evident that women players often undertake intensive travel and training commitments without commensurate fiscal recognition. Some sources suggest that the reform could involve improved match fees, updated retainers and the introduction of incentive programs based on performance for women of all ages.

Benchmarking Against Global Trends

Internationally, the cricket boards are increasingly modernizing pay frameworks for women’s cricket, recognizing the importance women’s athletes’ roles as ambassadors for brands and as competitive athletes in international leagues and ICC events. For example Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) recently approved a 35 percent pay increase and overhauled contract structure for their women’s squad, including increased daily allowances and tour fee which indicates a regional trend towards fair compensation.

The global context is a catalyst that encourages the BCCI to implement forward-looking changes. South Asian peers and international syndicates have highlighted the rationale for both sports and economics for investing in female players not just to aid existing players but also to create future pipelines of talent. Experts believe that better national pay structures will allow players to devote their lives to the sport without needing to work elsewhere, which will help strengthen India’s competitiveness in every format.

Umpires and Match Officials

Beyond compensation for players In addition, the agenda includes proposals to amend the payment system for referees and umpires for national tournaments. Officials have long complained that the compensation paid to match officials has not kept up with the expectations of professional conduct and travel requirements. The increase in fees is considered an attempt to modernize the circuit’s domestic competition in a comprehensive manner.

Additionally, the meeting will feature updates on the BCCI’s digital properties, including streaming revenue strategies, fan engagement platforms, and potential enhancements to the board’s digital infrastructure–areas critical to revenue generation and audience growth.

Kohli, Rohit, and the Future of Senior Men’s Contracts

Another major item on the agenda is the grading and retentions within central contracts. That are annually issued to the national cricket team of India’s men’s players. Central contracts are granted to a selected number of players, and arranged into four categories: A+ A+, A+, B+, and C, based on their fitness, performance and their current position on the national team.

The Status of Kohli and Sharma

Virat Kohli as well as Rohit Sharma are two players who are among Indian the most successful batsmen in cricket as well as long-lasting celebrities, have been a fixture within their respective grade A+ bracket, which is the highest-earning category that has annual retainers of the order of 7 crore rupees per year. Both players have significantly decreased their workloads over the past year, taking a break from T20 internationals as well as stepping back from cricket in the Test format to concentrate mostly at One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

This has raised a discussions within the BCCI regarding whether their contribution justifies the keeping of the highest grade in the coming contract cycle. Selectors and board functionaries believe that the an insufficient participation across formats could be a reason to consider the possibility of a reduction into grade A status, which comes with the lower retainer fee (approximately 5 crore). A change like this would bring about an two-crore pay reduction for each player changed from A+ status to A grade, an event that has attracted much attention from journalists as well as fans.

Broader Contract Grade Review Across the Men’s Team

Even though Kohli and Sharma’s cases are well-known however, the Apex Council meeting is expected to conduct an extensive examination of the men’s central contract. Players like Shubman Gill who has taken on leadership roles across formats, such as ODI captain as well as T20 vice-captain, as well as players from all formats, such as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja will likely to be assessed to see if they can be promoted or retained within the A+ bracket.

The performance analysts and selectors will take into consideration a variety of factors, such as recent international output fitness levels, as well as the mix of experience and youth necessary to perform well in future ICC events. The meeting is expected for the purpose of balancing the desire to maintain its consistency with its responsibility to recognize consistent performers across different types.

Leadership and Administrative Transitions

The upcoming Apex Council meeting also marks the first significant policy meeting for the BCCI’s newly formed leadership team. Following the September 2025 elections, Mithun Manhas was elected president. Raghuram Bhatt was appointed treasurer. Devajit Saikia was elected secretary. Prabhtej Singh Bhatia was appointed the position as joint secretary. The change in governance reinforces the board’s determination to update its operational processes and administrative strategies.

In addition, Jaydev Shah is vice president and head of Saurashtra Cricket Association. Has been appointed to in the Apex Council in the capacity of a member of the body’s general committee. This is which is expected to offer fresh perspective from cricket clubs in the region.

Looking Ahead: Impact and Expectations

The results of the December 22nd meeting are widely anticipated to affect the calendar for India as well as the talent pipelines and the financial structure for both cricket for women and men in India. If the BCCI accept increased match fees for female cricketers, this would be an important step towards the pursuit of competitive parity and sustainable development for women’s cricket. In the same way, changes in central contract terms for seniors male players could indicate an evolution towards a performance-based system of remuneration which reflects current involvement and contribution.

All stakeholders in the cricketing community–players as well as administrators, coaches. And the fans will be keeping an eye on as the board conducts important discussions on policy. The decisions of the meeting could define the direction of Indian cricket for the foreseeable future as well as enhancing the board’s role as a steward for both tradition and advancement within the sport.