India players' Test fees doubled to INR 15 lakh per match

The BCCI has doubled the India players' Test-match fees, with an eye on making the format more financially attractive. India's players currently get INR 7 lakh (USD 10,500 approx) per Test; the board decided to increase that to INR 15 lakh (USD 22,500 approx) per game. The reserve players' fees have reportedly also been doubled to Rs 7 lakh per game.

"We have doubled the match fees as we think Test cricket has to be given priority," BCCI president Anurag Thakur told Indian Express. "We have had discussions to make Test cricket popular and lucrative among the new generation. If we need to keep the players' interest in Tests alive, we'll have to ensure that Test players are better paid. We can't shy away from the trend [of being attracted to well-paying T20 leagues] that we are witnessing among new cricketers."

The decision was taken at an unscheduled working committee meeting in Mumbai on Friday, which preceded the BCCI's special general meeting, where the board could not come to a decision with regard to implementing the recommendations of the Lodha Committee. It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will roll back this decision on the match fees, considering the Lodha Committee had asked the BCCI to put on hold any decision concerning 2016-17 till the recommendations on restructuring the board were in place.