₹45 lakh per game: BCCI’s new incentive program to promote Test cricket draws reactions from Rohit, Dravid, Gambhir

In a testament to its commitment to prioritising Test cricket, the BCCI made a significant announcement on Saturday, introducing an incentive program aimed at fostering greater participation in the longest format of the game. Under this initiative, players who take part in 75% or more of the scheduled red-ball matches in a season will receive a substantial incentive of ₹45 lakh per game!

For example, a Test player participating in a potential 10 Tests within a season could stand to gain an impressive ₹4.5 crore in incentives, in addition to the regular match fee of ₹1.5 crore (₹15 lakh per game).

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah revealed this financial commitment from the board following India's victory in the fifth Test against England. This series triumph propelled the team back to the top spot in the ICC Test Team Rankings, surpassing Australia by five rating points.

Highlighting the importance of Test cricket, Shah emphasised: “With this scheme, players will earn even more than their IPL contracts. This underscores that while the IPL is important, bilateral Test cricket holds significant value. The total outflow will be ₹45 crore.”
Rohit, Gambhir Hail the Move; Dravid Remains Cautious
The move garnered praise from various quarters. For starters, Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who has time and again stressed the importance of prioritising red-ball cricket, took to his official X to back BCCI’s move.


India’s ex-batter Gautam Gambhir, famous for his controversial takes and fiery comments, had nothing but positive sentiments towards the decision as well.


Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen hailed Shah’s leadership, as he tweeted:


However, former Indian captain Rahul Dravid adopted a more cautious stance, choosing to describe this as a “rewarding” move instead of an “incentivising” one.

Dravid said at a press conference: “I think it is a reward, not an incentive… I really hope money is not going to be the incentive to play Test cricket. It’s just nice the hard work and how tough Test cricket can be is being recognised. So, I wouldn’t see it as an incentive to make people play Test cricket, I hope not… I hope it never really comes to that.”

Overall, this development is widely welcomed, especially amid concerns about the declining popularity of Test cricket. In recent years, there has been a tendency for governing bodies to shorten Test series, while prominent players have increasingly favoured limited-overs matches or participation in lucrative T20 leagues.