The return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has brought tremendous excitement to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. These two big star players are playing in the domestic ODI tournament after a long time.
Although there is less glitz and glamour here compared to the IPL, this tournament is the backbone of Indian white-ball cricket.
How much do the players get paid?
The money in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is not determined by an IPL-style auction. Here, the BCCI has a fixed system based on the number of List A matches a player has played. For the 2025-26 season, the tiers are as follows:
- Senior players who have played more than 40 List A matches receive ₹60,000 per match if they are in the playing XI, and ₹30,000 if they are in the reserves.
- Players with 21 to 40 matches receive ₹50,000 (in the XI) and ₹25,000 (reserves).
- Junior players with up to 20 matches receive ₹40,000 (in the XI) and ₹20,000 (reserves).
Virat is playing for Delhi and Rohit for Mumbai. Both have crossed the 40-match mark, so they fall into the senior category and earn ₹60,000 per match.
This amount is significantly less than their international match fees. The BCCI pays them ₹6 lakh for an ODI. In the IPL, Virat earns up to ₹21 crore from RCB and Rohit up to ₹16.30 crore from MI.
Additional earning opportunities
In addition to match fees, players receive a daily allowance to cover travel, food, and accommodation expenses. There is also a ₹10,000 cash prize for the Man of the Match award for good performance.
If the team progresses further in the tournament, there is prize money, which is distributed among the players and support staff. This time, the presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has led to increased crowds at many matches.
The fact that both stars are playing in domestic cricket is a huge motivation for young players. The Vijay Hazare Trophy has become even more exciting. Many more records could be broken as the tournament progresses.
