As India finished with their best-ever medal haul at the Olympics, the BCCI was quick to announce cash prizes for all winners. While the board was applauded for their kind gesture, the plight of domestic Ranji cricketers, who continue to wait for payment, was not lost on many.

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The Tokyo Olympics ended on a high for India, as Neeraj Chopra brought home the country’s first-ever medal, a gold no less, in the track-and-field competition. The effort ensured that India finished with their best-ever tally of seven medals at the Games: the gold accompanying two silver medals and four bronze.

Moments after Chopra’s historic throw of 87.58 metres in the javelin throw competition, sports federations and governments lined up to applaud the feat, with the BCCI joining the queue as well. They announced a cash prize total of INR 4 crore to all medal winners, including INR 1 crore to Chopra and INR 1.25 crore to the men’s hockey team that won a bronze. The news was confirmed by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.

Contrary to belief, the board’s constitution allows them to aid and assist other sports in India. “The income, funds and properties of the BCCI, however, acquired, shall be utilized and applied solely for the promotion of the objects of the BCCI as set forth to aid and assist financially or otherwise and to promote, encourage, advance and develop and generally to assist the game of cricket or any other sport throughout India,” the constitution states.

Earlier, the BCCI had donated INR 10 crore for the training and the preparations of the Tokyo-bound athletes.

It is worth remembering, however, that, as of a BCCI meeting in May, many of the country’s domestic cricketers were yet to be paid by the BCCI after the 2020-21 Ranji Trophy was cancelled due to Covid-19. The players who only play Ranji Trophy were assured of compensation for missing out on their income, but the promises are yet to come to fruition.

Ranji Trophy players reportedly earn INR 35,000 per day per game, which is almost INR 1.4 lakhs per match, though the players are expected to get a massive pay hike. Currently, the cricketers on the bench earn half of the above sum besides getting a daily allowance. A cricketer reportedly gets INR 35,000 for each Vijay Hazare Trophy game, which is halved for a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 match. The players are also given a small portion of the BCCI’s gross revenue, which they are yet to receive as well. Overall, a regular player who plays all three formats, gets a minimum of INR 15 lakhs per annum.

With the country grappling with the coronavirus, the state of the unpaid domestic players worsens further. Interestingly, the women cricketers were only paid their dues for reaching the T20 World Cup final last year after a report in The Telegraph highlighting the issue this May.

The issue of non-payment of the domestic cricketers was not discussed during the Special General Meeting held earlier in May. According to reports, an association raised the issue of the pending payments to domestic Ranji players, which was turned down by BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, who stated that the topic was not on the agenda of the meeting.