Today we rank the best sport movies & documentaries.
Welcome to the “All of the Above” best sport movies, TV shows, & documentaries ranking list. We consider everything sports – drama films, biopics, sports documentaries, streaming platform content, Hollywood, Bollywood, English, Hindi, Spanish, American football, soccer, cricket, boxing, and more. Let’s cut to the chase.
The best sport movie of all time is Remember the Titans followed closely by the Blind Side, while Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Run Milkha Run) makes the cut as the best Bollywood sports movie.
List of Best Sports Movies and Documentaries
Disclaimer: This list is based upon the movies I have watched so far, but here are some sports films on my watchlist.
Currently Watching: Man in the Arena (2021), Becoming Champions (2018), Welcome to Wrexham (2022)
American Football: Rudy (1993), Draft Day (2014), Concussion (2015), American Underdog (2021), Hard Knocks (2022)
Baseball: 42 (2013), Eight Men Out (1988)
Basketball: White Men Can’t Jump (1992), Hoop Dreams (1994), The Way Back (2020), Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Glory Road (2006)
Boxing: Raging Bull (1980), Ali (2001), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Irudu Suutru/Saala Khadoos (2016), Mukkabaaz (2017), Mike (2022)
Cricket: Chakda ‘Xpress (TBD), Kai Po Che
Golf: The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
Miscellaneous: ESPN 30 for 30 (ex: OJ: Made in America), Cool Runnings (1993), Kai Po Che (2013), I Tonya (2017), Free Solo (2018), Icarus (2017), Budhia Singh – Born to Run (2018), Saand ki Aankh (2019), The Way Back (2020), Saina (2021), 14 Peaks, Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Off (2022), Hawaa Hawaai (2014)
Racing: Rush (2013), Schumacher (2021)
Rugby: Invictus (2009)
Soccer/Association Football: Escape to Victory (1981), Goal Trilogy (2005), The Damned United (2009), All or Nothing (Arsenal 2022, Tottenham Hotspurs, etc.), Diego Maradona (2019), Bigil (2019), Jaadugar (2022)
Tennis: Venus & Serena (2012), Borg vs McEnroe (2017), King Richard (2021), Serena (2022)
These will be added one by one to the ranking list once I have finished watching them.
61. Apne (2007)
Sport: Boxing
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
In the most literal sense, it is a family-driven boxing drama marred by false doping accusation.
60. Dil Bole Hadippa! (2009)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Sports Drama/Rom-Com
Language: Hindi
Girl playing cricket by concealing her identity in an all-boys’ team. A bit of romance and of course, an India-Pakistan local club match as well.
59. Brothers (2015)/ Warriors (2011)
Sport: MMA (mixed martial arts)
Genre: Sports drama (fiction)
Language: Brothers (Hindi), Warriors (English)
Brothers is the official Bollywood remake of the 2011 American film, Warriors.
58. Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Documentary
Language: Hindi, English, Marathi
Documenting the journey of the greatest cricketer of all-time, the film explores the life behind the scenes and how he battled pressure while giving people hope. Great background music by AR Rahman as well.
57. Space Jam (1996)
Sport: Basketball
Genre: Sports fantasy, live-action & animation
Language: English
In the age of Marvel & Avengers, Space Jam looks like a joke in animation. Michael Jordan flying with Bugs Bunny and getting kidnapped in outer space isn’t exactly bingeworthy material, but if you are a sports fan, you have to watch it once in your life.Considered a classic.
56. Home Team (2022)
Sports: American Football
Genre: Comedy/Biography
Language: English
Where to Watch: Netflix
Any movie with Kevin James is bound to be funny. A college football star coach who was removed from duty due to an investigation goes on to coach his son’s middle school football team. A good watch.
55. MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
Based on Indian captain MS Dhoni’s journey before he broke into stardom, the movie explores his family life, love angles, & early struggles. Late Sushant Singh Rajput did justice to the role, but the story & direction were a bit short.Good first half, but the story isn’t as tight in the second half. It did not help that the movie was released during the latter years of Dhoni’s career, before his retirement.
54. Sultan (2015)
Sport: Wrestling
Genre: Sports drama
Language: Hindi
Sultan is a fictional drama based on a couple who are both professional wrestlers and develop ego clashes along the way.
53. Azhar (2016)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Sports Drama, Biography
Language: Hindi
The movie explores the larger-than-life character of Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, and his interpretation of the 2000 match fixing scandal.
52. Welcome to Wrexham (2022)
Sport: Soccer
Genre: Documentary
Language: English (both American & British accents with a slight dose of Welsh)
Where to Watch: FX on Hulu
Imagine Deadpool’s actor Ryan Reynolds. Now imagine Rob McElhenney. Now imagine they randomly bought a fourth division team in Wales and try to resurrect it and promote it to the next level. Well, this is exactly what happened. Some humor, mostly reality, and a bit of soccer as well. Basically, Ted Lasso but in real-life.
*Note: I have only watched 5 episodes so far. This ranking is subject to change. 15 episodes will be released in total by the end of the season.
51. Becoming Champions (2018-)
Sport: Soccer/Association Football
Genre: Documentary Series
Language: Multiple Languages (Spanish, French, English, etc.)
Where to Watch: Netflix
The journeys of the 10 FIFA World Cup winners and how it all fit in the history of their respective countries. Good watch, but I have one complaint – there were a few World Cup clips, but not enough for a soccer documentary. Lots of newspaper cuttings instead.
50. Beyond the Boundary (2020)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Where to Watch: Netflix
This hour-long film documents the 2020 T20 World Cup – a watershed moment in women’s cricket. Watch it for the inspirational journey of Thailand and the India-Australia final.
49. Toofan (2021)
Sport: Boxing
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Amateur fighter turned boxer gets banned for five years due to corruption and attempts to make a comeback.
48. Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
Sport: Racing
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
A carefree star NASCAR drive whose life turns upside down after a life-threatening crash.
47. Soorma (2018)
Sport: Field Hockey
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Based on the true story of India’s drag flicker specialist, Sandeep Singh, this is an inspirational story of a comeback of from being shot and paralyzed.
46. 99 (2009)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Crime Comedy
Language: Hindi
Not quite a sports movie in its entirety, 99 is a fictional behind the scenes underworld account of the match-fixing & betting scandal that married the India-South Africa series.
45. Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes (2022)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Live through Ben Stokes’ ups and downs of his iconic career, rising from the lows of mental health break and grief to the captaincy of England cricket team.
44. Bandon Me Tha Dum (2022)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Where To Watch: Voot Select
Relive India’s dramatic victory in Australia in the players’ own words – featuring Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Pat Cummins, Vihari, Pujara, and Tim Paine himself.
Beautiful tribute to college basketball broadcaster, a former coach, and the face/voice of ESPN—Dick Vitale.
42. Toolsidas Junior (2022)
Sport: Snooker
Genre: ‘Coming of age’ Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Vowed to avenge his father’s defeat in a local club’s snooker competition, the young son goesout of his way to learn the game and enters the contest. Nice, cute movie.
41. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007)
Sport: Soccer
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Set in Southall, a predominantly South Asian community in the UK, a club overcomes their differences and comes together to play a tournament and save it from being demolished.
Sharman Joshi shines as a middle-class man trying to come up with some money so he can send his talented son for a camp at the majestic Lord’s cricket ground.
38. Chhalaang (2020)
Sports: Multi-sports
Genre: Sports Drama/Comedy
Language: English
A sports film from the coach’s point of view. Funny and entertaining throughout.
37. Gold (2018)
Sport: Field Hockey
Genre: Historical Drama (based on true story)
Language: Hindi
On the backdrop of the Partition, the movie explores one of the all-time great field hockey teams disrupted by the separation of British India into current cay India & Pakistan.
36. 83 (2021)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
Where to Watch: Netflix
Well directed movie on Kapil Dev’s unlikely 1983 World Cup movie. Ranveer Singh and co do justice to their roles.
It is a story of two girls daring to play soccer against societal pressure. Very nicely done comedy sports film.
34. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)
Sports: Track & Field
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Story of two competing colleges in a sport tournament—A classic.
33. Jersey (2022)/Jersey (2018)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Telugu (original 2018)/ Hindi (2022 – official remake
Where to Watch: Netflix
Directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, Jersey is a fictional yet emotional movie based on a father’s drive to fight societal & physical for the sake of his son.The Pankaj Kapur & Shahid Kapoor starrer was a 2022 Hindi remake of the 2018 Telugu film.
Never before seen scenes of camera in Justin Langer’s new Australiadressing room as Australia try to recover from the sandpaper gate scandal.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
31. Safety (2020)
Sport: College Football
Genre: Biographical Drama
Language: English
Where to Watch: Disney+
As much as it is about football, this movie is about two brothers and a community coming together. Based on the true story of Ray McElrathbey and Clemson University. If you have time, this is a nice watch.
30. Coach Carter (2005)
Sports: Basketball (High School)
Genre: Biography
Language: English
Where to Watch: Netflix
An inspiring true story about a coach who halted an entire school system to make sure his basketball players became all-round students and go to college.
29. Rise (2022)
Sports: Basketball
Genre: Biography
Language: English
Where to Watch: Disney+ESPN
A movie about family & sports on the true story of the Antetokounmpo brothers – Giannis, Thanasis, and Kostas from Nigeria to Greece to the NBA.
28. The Skater Girl (2021)
Sports: Skating
Genre: ‘Coming of age’ Sports Drama
Language: Hindi/English
Where to Watch: Netflix
Inspirational story that shows how one person can have an immense impact in someone else’s lifeif they have the support & resources. In this case, a skateboard changes a young girl’s lifewho now dares to dream.
27. Kaun Pravin Tambe? (2022)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
One of the most underrated inspirational stories of a man who never gave up and finally received recognition and opportunities at the age of 41.
Mark Wahlberg plays the role of real-life inspiration of Vince Papale, who ends up playing for the Philadelphia Eagles at the age of 30 without having a professional background in the sport. A story of hope, realizing dreams, and friendship.
25. The Mighty Ducks: Game Changer (2021-)
Sport: Ice Hockey
Genre: Series
Language: English
Where to Watch: Disney+
Nothing better than a group of misfits coming together as an underdog team. Great life lessons in this one and funny as well.
24. Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
Sport: Track & Field (Steeplechase)
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
Interesting twist of tale of a national level sportsman turned a rebel dacoit.
23. They Call Me Magic (2022)
Sport: Basketball
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Where to Watch:Apple TV
Brilliant documentary on one of the greatest American athletes of all time, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Jr. This documentary is as much about basketball as it is about HIV/AIDS awareness, the city of Los Angeles, the Black community, and life of a businessman.
22. Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Sport: Soccer
Genre: Sports Comedy
Language: Cantonese/English (dubbed)
You know what’s better than Kung Fu or soccer? How about Kung Fu in a soccer match. Add an ounce of comedy as well.
21. Shabaash Mithu (2022)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
Inspirational story about women’s cricket in India.Not only is Mithali Raj’s journey well captured, but also the growth in Indian women’s cricket (and in the mindset of the general public) from the 90’s to the 2017 ODI Cricket World Cup.
Fictional story of Marvyn Korn, a star college basketball coach, who loses everything due to anger management issues. The TV series is about how he finds himself learning the important things in life and building relationships while coaching high school girls.
19. Man in the Arena: Tom Brady (2021-)
Sport: American Football
Genre: Documentary (TV Series)
Language: English
Where to Watch: ESPN+/Hulu
Documentary on the rise of Tom Brady. Champions are not made in a day. They are made with relentless efforts over the decades.
18. The Longest Yard (2005)/(1974)
Sport: American football
Genre: Sports Comedy
Language: English
The remake of the 1974 film, the 2005 version is a star cast of Adam Sandler, the Great Khali, Terry Crews, and Chris Rock. This comedy movie revolves around a football match between prisoners and guards for a reduced jail sentence.
17. Hustle (2022)
Sport: Basketball
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: English
Where to Watch: Netflix
Adam Sandler at his best (in a serious role, yes really). Scouting a 22-year-old basketball talent from Spain, he does his all to get him to the NBA draft, even if it means to fight against all odds. Inspirational. Must watch.
Movies In this series: Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), Rocky Balboa (2006), Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), Creed III (2023)
15. Mary Kom (2014)
Sport: Boxing
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
Priyanka Chopra nails her role in the true story of Olympic medal winner, Mary Kom.
14. Air (2023)
Sport: Basketball
Genre: Biographical Sports Drama
Language: English
Where to Watch: Prime Video
The story of Nike and how they signed Michael Jordan against all odds. With a star cast of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, and Jason Bateman, this is a classic.
13. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Sport: Grand Prix
Genre: Biographical Sports Drama
Language: English
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Matt Damon & Christian Bale come together for an enticing sports drama based on the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans car race.
12. Dangal (2016)
Sport: Wrestling
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
The highest grossing Indian movie of all-time depicting the story of Mahavir Phogat and his daughters.
11. Chak De India (2007)
Sport: Field Hockey
Genre: Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Chak De has all the ingredients of a hit sports movie – Disappointment, despair, comeback, teamwork, friendship, fights, joy, and of course, good music.
10. Iqbal (2005)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: ‘Coming of Age’ Sports Drama
Language: Hindi
Depicting a deaf and mute aspirational cricketer trying to balance poverty and cricket dreams, Shreyas Talpade plays his debut role to perfection.
9. The Karate Kid Series (1984, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2010)
Sport: Martial Arts
Genre: ‘Coming of Age’ Sports Drama
Language: English
Center to any sport is the relationship between the teacher and the student. No movie does this better as Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LeRusso. The sequels and Jackie Chan’s reboot are also pretty good (and now has the Netflix series – Cobra Kai).
8. Lagaan (2001)
Sport: Cricket
Genre: Historical Sports Drama
Language: Hindi/English
One of the greatest movie of Indian cinema, Lagaan is a fictional cricket match between Britishers and Indian colonists (who do not know the sport) in exchange for reduced tax.
7. Forrest Gump (1994)/Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)
Sport: Ping Pong (table tennis)/American Football
Genre: Sports Comedy
Language: English/Hindi (official remake)
Although not officially a sports movie, there are several sporty elements to Forrest Gump, All American college football, national level ping pong champion, and even ran across America.
6. The Last Dance (2020)
Sport: Basketball
Genre: Docuseries
Language: English
Where To Watch: ESPN+, Netflix
Relive the ups and downs of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, and Dennis Rodman’s career in Phil Jackson’s Chicago Bull’ssix-peat victory and their final breakup.
5. Ted Lasso (2020-)
Sport: Soccer
Genre: Sports Comedy
Language: English (American & British)
Where to Watch: Apple TV
One of the most inspirational comedy shows in recent times.Comedy, drama, team spirit, mental health issues, and a bit of relegation-promotion soccer drama – this series has it all. Here’s my favorite scene from Ted Lasso
“Be Curious, Not Judgmental”
4. Moneyball (2011)
Sport: Baseball
Genre: Sports Drama (based on a true story)
Language: English
Not many books and movies can say they have had as much of a dramatic effect as Moneyball did. Data and statistics have changed sports all around the world, thanks toBilly Beane’s revolution at Oakland.
3. The Blind Side (2009)
Sport: American football
Genre: ‘Coming of Age’ Biography
Language: English
This movie is as much a sport movie as it is a film about a mother and a son.The film depicts ‘Big Mike’Michael Oher’s journey from povertyto the NFL via adoption into the Tuohy family. Sandra Bullock gives a performance of the generation by her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy.
2. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
Sport: Track & Field (400 m)
Genre: Biography
Language: Hindi
The movie that began Bollywood’s obsession with biopics. Farhan Akthar’s stupendous transformation into Milkha Singh’s character is breathtaking. No other Indian sports movie has been able to match the direction, story, and filming of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
1. Remember the Titans
Sport: American football
Genre: Biography
Language: English
And Remember the Titans is #1 on our Best Sport Movie & Documentaries list. Based on a true story, high school football becomes central in racial integration. There was conflict, tension, inspiration, and happiness. Here are some of the inspirational moments from the movie.Denzel Washington at his absolute best.
****
Frequently Asked Questions – Best Sports Movies & Documentaries
What is the best sports movie of all time?
Remember the Titans has to be the best sports movie of all time, followed closely by, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the best Bollywood biopic of all time.
Who is Anil Mehta?
Anil Mehta is a cinematographer, famous for his contributions to India sports films like Lagaan and Jersey.
What are the best new 2022 sport movies and documentaries?
Hustle, Shabaash Mithu, They Call Me Magic, Bandho Ma Tha Dum, Kaun Pravin Tambe, and Welcome to Wrexham are some of the best 2022 sports movies & documentaries (across languages and genres).
What are the best cricket movies and documentaries?
Lagaan, Iqbal, Shabaash Mithu, Kaun Pravin Tambe, The Test, Jersey, 83, Ferrari Ki Sawari, Bad Sport, Bandhon Mein Tha Dum, Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes, 99, Beyond the Boundary, Azhar, MS Dhoni, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Sachin Tendulkar: A Billion Dreams, and Dil Bole Hadippa are the best cricket movies and documentaries of all time.
What are the best movies to watch on Netflix in 2022?
Hustle, The Skater Girl, Coach Carter, Jersey, 83, Bad Sport, Beyond the Boundary, Becoming Champions, and Home Team are some of the best sports films to watch in Netflix in 2022 and 2023.
Today we rank the salary of cricketers (men) from each Test playing nation.
Trent Boult’s shock yet understandable decision to leave the New Zealand contract has put the cricket world into frenzy. This begs the question of how much do cricketers from each country earn from a national contract.
The salary of cricketers in Australia from central contracts and match fees is the most lucrative between $362,500-1.75 million with England & India close behind with salary up to $1.5 million & 1.295 million respectively. Afghanistan, $20,000-40,000 and Zimbabwe at $4,000-90,000 rank at the bottom of the spectrum. New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies players earn somewhere in the middle, which is why several of them have to go to England, Australia, and India to ply their trade to earn a bit more.
We present a complete breakdown of the earnings and rank each nation’s central contract strength from lowest to highest.
Salary of Cricketers from Each Nation – The Complete List (Lowest to Highest)
For the sake of this analysis, we will only consider the 12 Test playing nations.
How Did We Calculate the Estimated Salary Ranges?
We have done a bit of research based on annual reports, press releases, and trusted sources from each national board. We arrived at estimates for player salaries based on retainer central contracts and match fees. Brand endorsements, sponsorships, team/board bonuses, and match awards are not taken into consideration.
All of our sources are listed below each nation’s analysis for your reference.
Afghanistan Cricket National Contract Estimated Salary
Estimated Salary Range:$20,000-$40,000 (which may vary depending on the contract grade)
Afghanistan Cricket Board Annual Report Analysis
Since data is not widely available on Afghanistan central contracts, we make an educated estimate based on their annual report. As per ACB’s 2020 Annual report, the ACB had a revenue of $7.15 million and expenses around $6.76 million (images attached below). From the expenses, $1.71 million was administrative cost, while $5.05 million was technical cost.
Around $1.937 million was spent on international cricket, $1.44 million accrual of 2020 (or prior) overall, and $ 883,000 was spent on HR activities. Although it is not stated what portion of this money was allocated for player salaries, we can estimate that around $1 million were spent on salaries of players, coaches, support staff, etc. Currently, there are 34 centrally contracted players (listed below). Hence, we came up with the above estimate for the Afghanistan cricketer salary.
List of Afghanistan Centrally Contracted Cricketers
Grade A: Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi
Match fees information is not available for Afghanistan cricket.
*Note: The annual report is from 2020, prior to the Taliban takeover. No official data is available since the political situation changed in Afghanistan. For example, 25 centrally contracted women’s cricketers were added in 2020 and several development programs started. This is, most likely, no longer the case.
According to Zimbabwe’s 2020-21 Annual Report, they had allocated $659,827 for statutory obligations and salaries, $788,891 for salaries in domestic cricket, and $1,620,326 for HR-related activities in international cricket.
Zimbabwe Cricket National Contract
Based on Cricket Monthly, in 2017 Zimbabwe’s players earned:
Top Tier:$66,000
Middle Tier:$48,000
Bottom Tier:$36,000
What Are Match Fees for Zimbabwean Cricketers?
Test:$2,000
ODI: $1,000
T20I: $500
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Zimbabwe played a total of 15 ODIs ($15,000), and 16 T20Is ($8,000).
Zimbabwe cricket has faced lots of contract negotiation issues over the years, but it seems like not much as changed since 2013. In 2013, ESPNCricinfo reported Zimbabwean domestic cricketer’s salary as follows:
Grade X:$60,000
Grade A: $42,000
Grade B: $24,000
Grade C: $18,000
Rookie: $3,600
Zimbabwe Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Graeme Cremer was the highest earned Zimbabwe cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $90,000.
According to Ireland’s 2019 Directors’ Report and Financial Statements, the wages and salaries amounted to $3.7 million (3,690,196 euros), from which $1.57 million (1,557,584 euros) was allocated for high performance player contracts & match fees distributed among 25 centrally contracted players.
What Are Match Fees for South African Cricketers?
ODI: $1,100
T20I: $450
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), South Africa played a total of 9 ODIs ($9,900), and 22 T20Is ($9,900).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $19,800 in match fees alone.
List of Centrally Contracted Ireland Cricketers 2022-23
2-year Contracts: Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young
1-Year Contract: Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, Ben White, William Porterfield (now retired)
Maximum Possible Salary:$211,950 (Top Tier Contract + 3-format Maximum Match Fees)
Minimum Possible Salary:$54,950 (Bottom Tier Contract + T20Is only)
Bangladesh Cricket National Contract
Top Tier: $60,000
Mid-Tier: $30,000
Bottom Tier: $15,000
What Are Match Fees for Bangladesh Cricketers?
Test:$7,000 (600,000 BDT)
ODI: $3,500 (300,000 BDT)
T20I: $2,350 (200,000 BDT)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Bangladesh played a total of 10 Tests ($70,000), 12 ODIs ($42,000), and 17 T20Is ($39,950).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $151,950 in match fees alone
List of Bangladesh Centrally Contracted Cricketers 2022-23
All-format: Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam
Tests and ODIs: Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan
Tests Only: Mominul Haque, Ebadot Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Yasir Ali, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam
ODIs and T20Is only: Mahmudullah, Mustafizur Rahman, Afif Hossain
Bangladesh Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Shakib Al Hasan was the highest earned Bangladesh cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $140,000.
Estimated Average Range: $72,300–145,350 (with some players with higher salaries due to negotiations)
Pakistan Cricket National Contract
Top Tier – Red Ball: $56,400 (12,600,000 PKR)
Top Tier – White Ball: $51,600(11,400,000 PKR)
What Are Match Fees for Pakistani Cricketers?
Test:$3,800 (838, 530 PKR)
ODI: $2,300 (515,696 PKR)
T20I: $1,735 (372,075 PKR)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Pakistan played a total of 7 Tests ($26,600), 9 ODIs ($20,700), and 24 T20Is ($41,640).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $88,940 in match fees alone.
Pakistan Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
In 2017, Sarfaraz Ahmed was the highest earned Bangladesh cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $270,000.
Pakistani players named in PCB central contracts 2022-23 will be paid 838,000 PKR per Test match, 515,000 PKR for an ODI and 372,075 PKR for a T20i match. There is 10% increase in salaries.
*there are additional bonuses for team victories against top opponents ($150,000 for series victory vs #1 team, $125, 000 vs #2 team, etc. till $30,000 bonus for series win vs #7 team)
What Are Match Fees for Sri Lankan Cricketers?
Test:$7,500
ODI: $5,000
T20I: $4,000
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Sri Lanka played a total of 10 Tests ($75,000), 8 ODIs ($40,000), and 17 T20Is ($136,000).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $251,000 in match fees alone.
Sri Lanka Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Angelo Matthews was the highest earned Sri Lankan cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $320,000.
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), South Africa played a total of 10 Tests ($69,250), 13 ODIs ($24,700), and 13 T20Is ($11,843).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $105,793 in match fees alone.
South African Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Faf Du Plessis was the highest earned South African cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $440,000.
List of Centrally Contracted South African Players 2022-23
Temba Bavuma, Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen
“The cricketers are in South Africa’s highest tax-paying band, 45% and 45% of a million US dollars is a lot more than 45% of a million Rand. So if money is what matters, then it all adds up.”
Maximum Possible Salary: $266,720 (Top Tier + All 3-format Maximum Match Fee)
Minimum Possible Salary: $140,250 (Bottom Tier Contract + Tests only)
Average Salary:$236,726.43
West Indies Cricket National Contract (2017)
Top Tier: $140,000
Mid Tier: $120,000
Bottom Tier: $100,000
According to CWI’s 2021 Financial Statements, overall international retainers added to $2,248,583 and match fees amounted to $3,454,310. Including captain’s allowances, players insurance, injury payments, incentives, franchise retainers, etc., the total payment to players totaled a whopping $8,758,878.
Overall, WI have 18 contracted players for the men’s team & 19 for the women’s respectively. Assuming the men & women early equally, on average retainer + match fee is about $236,726.43 per West Indian cricketer.
What Are Match Fees for West Indian Cricketers?
Test:$5,750
ODI: $2,300
T20I: $1,735
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), West Indies played a total of 7 Tests ($40,250), 21 ODIs ($48,300), and 24 T20Is ($41,640).
A player who played all three formats in this time period would have earned $130,190 in match fees alone.
West Indies Cricket Contracted Players List 2021-22
All-Format Contract: Jason Holder
Red Ball Only: Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kyle Mayers, Kemar Roach
White Ball Only: Fabien Allen, Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Alzarri Joseph, Nicholas Pooran, Hayden Walsh Jr.
Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith have been added for the 2022-23 contract list
*An interesting note in CWI’s statement: ‘A number of players were not retained because they did not meet the minimum requirements.’
West Indies Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Jason Holder was the highest earned West Indian cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $270,000.
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), New Zealand played a total of 9 Test matches ($59,400), 13 ODIs ($32,500), and 14 T20Is ($22,498).
A New Zealander men’s cricketer playing all three formats would have earned up to $114,398 in match fees in the 2021-22 season. Hence, Trent Boult is trying to make the most of this match fee while giving up his $300,000+ retainer.
New Zealand Cricket Highest Paid (2018)
Kane Williamson was the highest earned New Zealand cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $289,000.
New Zealand Cricket Contract List 2022-23
Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
For a player in the XI for these formats, an Indian player earns
Test: Rs. 15 Lakh ($18,800)
ODI:Rs. 6 Lakh ($7,524)
T20I: Rs. 3 Lakh ($3,762)
*However, the fee is deducted 50% if the player is in the squad but not playing in the XI. The corresponding figures are $9,400 (Tests), $3,762 (ODIs), and $1,881 (T20Is).
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), India played a total of 8 Test matches ($150,400), 18 ODIs ($135,432), and 35 T20Is ($131,670).
For someone who played all three formats and every game in this time period, that player had the potential to earn up to $417,502 in match fees on top of their annual contract.
Indian Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Virat Kohli was the highest earned Indian cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $1,000,000.
Maximum Possible Earnings: $1.51 million (Full Contract + Maximum Fees for 3-format player)
Minimum Possible Earnings: $349,500 (White Ball Only + 1-format ODI player only)
England Cricket Central Contracts
Full Contract (Max): $1.125 million (925,000 pounds)
*Between 2016-2021, contracts were separated based on formats (figures below)but now aredivided between central contracts, increment contracts, and pace bowling development contracts.
Red Ball Only: $790,000 (650,000 pounds)
White Ball Only:$300,000-365,000 (250,000-300,000 pounds)
What Are Match Fees for England Cricketers?
Tests:$17,600 (14,500 pounds)
White Ball: $5,500 (4,500 pounds)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), England played a total of 15 Tests($264,000), 9 ODIs ($49,500), and 13 T20Is($71,500).
For someone who played all three formats and every game in this time period, that player had the potential to earn up to $385,000 in match fees on top of their annual contract.
England Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Joe Root was the highest-paid cricketer from England (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $1,380,000.
England Cricket Contract List 2022-23
Full Contract: Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Increment Contracts: Dom Bess, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone
Pace bowling development contracts: Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Olly Stone
Maximum Salary Estimate: $1.75 million (Negotiated Contract + All 3-formats Maximum Match Fees)
Minimum Salary Estimate: $362,500 (Minimum Contract + Home Test matches only)
Australia Cricket National Contract
Minimum Contract: $300,000
Average Contract: $800,000
It is reported that players like David Warner and other prominent Australian cricketers may earn upwards of $1.5 million based on the final negotiations.
What are Match Fees for Australian Cricketers?
For a player in the XI for these formats, an Australian player earns
Home Test Fees: $12,500 USD ($18,000 AUD)
Away Test Fees: $17,725 USD ($25,000 AUD)
ODI Fees: $4,800 USD ($7,000 AUD)
T20I Fees: $3,800 USD ($5,500 AUD)
Estimated Match Fees: Between November 2021 and October 2022 (between the two consecutive T20 World Cups), Australia played a total of 10 Test matches (5 Home – $62,500, 5 Away – $88,625), 14 ODIs ($67,200), and 17 T20Is ($64,600).
A player who played all formats during this time period could have earned match fees alone up to $282,925.
Australia Cricket Highest Paid (2017)
Steve Smith was the highest earned Australian cricketer (from central contracts & match fees only), estimated around $1, 470,000.
Australia Cricket Contract List 2022-23
Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Hitting Against the Spin: How Cricket Really Works Review: Skip It or Read It?
Definitely read this one. If you are a cricket fan who loves stats and number crunching, this is a must read. But even if statistics are not your thing, read Hitting Against the Spin for the stories and a commentary on the evolution of the game.
Ben Jones, an analyst at Cricviz, and Nathan Leamon, England’s analyst with a math degree from Cambridge. put together this revolutionary book. In their own words, “Michael Lewis wrote Moneyball: The Art of the Winning”, book about the data revolution at Oakland A’s. It’s one of the most influential books ever written about sport, and sparked a wave of change that left very few sports in the world untouched.” (316).
Does this book have such an influence?
Only time will tell. Although it is far too early to gauge theimpact of Hitting Against the Spin, it will definitely change perspectives. Match-ups and flexible batting orders are already a part of modern day T20 cricket, but this book may offer an insight into other untapped areas of cricket.
Hopefully, this is just a start in data usage & cricket research.
Read It For
The stories, insights, graphics (variety of tables, graphs, & Hawkeye/ball-tracking visualizations), and references. The writers have done an excellent job intertwining themes and anecdotes from Poker, game theory, the Iliad & Odyssey, Ryanair, theoretical physicist—Richard Feynman, rackets (racquetball), tennis, golf, American football, soccer, baseball, and of course, Moneyball (the book & movie).
Don’t Read It For
Traditional Reading. This book is divided in two parts: Mechanics of the Game & T20—Changing the Game. Although each chapter carries themes from earlier references in the book, it is not necessarily to read this book straight through. If you want to read about swing bowling or leg spin, you can directly jump to those chapters. I personally jumped back and forth and was lot more fun that way.
Rating: 4.5/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Hitting Against the Spin Book Details, Authors, and Where to Purchase?
Title Name:Hitting Against the Spin: How Cricket Really Works
Publisher Summary: “How valuable is winning the toss? And how should captains use it to their advantage? Why does a cricket ball swing? Why don’t Indians bat left-handed? What is a good length and why? A fascinating whistle-stop tour of modern cricket and sports analytics, bringing cricket firmly into the twenty-first century.
Authors: Nathan Leamon, Ben Jones, with a foreword from Eoin Morgan
Length: 400 pages
Language: English
Publisher: Constable
Chapters:
Part One: Mechanics of the Game
Strong Back, Soft Front, Wild Heart – How to Win a World Cup
Playing Your Natural Game
Zen and the Art of Fast Bowling
Why Don’t Indians Bat Left-Handed?
Sachin’s Helping Hand
Oppenheimer and Duality
The Cat That Turned into a Fence
Why the Ball Swings – A Tale of Two Rivers
Hitting Against the Spin – England in India
Part Two: T20 – Changing the Game
Shortening the Game
Leg-spin and the Right to Feel Good
Technicolour Cricket
Moneyball 2.0
The Sultan’s of Spin – Multan Sultans in the PSL
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“There are many Tethered Cats in cricket, habitual actions that have outlived the conditions that created them. It is the case in most sports, but cricket seem to be particularly well-resourced in that regard (4).
2. Chesterton’s Fence
“Chesterton used the story to illustrate his principle that you should not be allowed to remove a rule or a tradition unless and until you fully understand the reasons why it was first put in place, and all the effects that its presence has (5).
3. Application to Cricket:
“This is the problem with Tethered Cats. Sometimes, a perfectly reasonable response to current circumstances becomes a habit, then a tradition, then an article of faith that outlives the circumstances that created it. We rarely question what we know to be self-evidently true, particularly when everyone else is doing the same thing. And so, the bias towards batting first seems to have outlived the circumstances that created it by several decades (175).
Context
One of the long-running themes in the book is the dichotomy between ‘Tethered Cats’ and ‘Chesterton’s Fence’ and how they apply to cricket.In a book about data, strategies, and analytics, I found it deeply insightful that several cricketing decisions are still based on tradition without reason.The best discussion about these philosophies is when analyzing why captains still choose to bat first regardless of what the modern data tells them.
2. Risk, Game Theory, and Decision Making in Cricket
What Is It?
Game Theory is a branch of mathematics and economics where behavioral strategies impact decision making. This can be best understood by thePrisoner’s Dilemma or the Nash Equilibrium (scene from A Beautiful Mind).
Quotes
“We are all loss averse, genetically programmed to be, and straying from the accepted path carries a twofold risk, firstly the increased failure rate of the innovation, and secondly the increased criticism and loss of standing that will accompany any failure (72). – Shooting 3 points, running on 4th down, reverse sweep.”
“Indeed, planning for a draft is a fascinating exercise in managing uncertainty.” (353)
“Whenever a batsman plays a defensive shot near the line of the stumps, he is weighing two competing risks – one is that the ball will seam aways from him and he will edge it, the other is that it will nip back into him and he will be bowled or LBW. Without the same threat from LBWs, left-handers are free to set themselves up so as to reduce the risk of edging the ball.” (119).
Context
Sport is a reflection of life and one of the key aspects of life is managing risks. The evolution of cricket has revolved around the idea of risk and decision making. Whether that is the advent of the reverse sweep, mystery bowlers in Sri Lankan cricket, or playing more aggressively in the modern T20 cricket, the team that optimizes the outcome of risk and anticipates the opposition usually has better odds of winning.
So far, we have talked about the philosophical background in Hitting Against the Spin, but the actual analysis is quite brilliant as well. These are just three of the many examples.
Example 1: How Did England Win the 2019 World Cup?
After the 2015 debacle, Nathan Leamon and co were brought in to revolutionize England’s white-ball side. England were able to build a side through extensive analysis—batting strength and run rate, winning record prior to the World Cup, team experience as well as accidental changes—ODI regulations, England’s list A cricketers (like Roy, Buttler) trained in 40-over domestic tournaments. Once the players were picked, they were provided a long rope to play freelyand even fail on the odd occasion.
Example 2: Innovation
In the current era, there are several 360-degree players—Suryakumar Yadav, Glenn Maxwell, and AB De Villiers earlier. This sort of play is now an expectation in T20 cricket today. It wasn’t the case when Kevin Pietersen brought out the switch hit against Muttiah Muralitharan. The authors describe the three stages of innovation as follows: Status Quo -> Honing and Perfection -> Competition -> Back to Status Quo.
The circle of life.
Example 3: T20 vs Test Cricket
T20 cricket is really changing how we view cricket. Averages, strike rates, etc. and the level of impact differ from format to format. Hence, the way we analyze cricket and pick players should have different metrics.
“The relative value of runs and wickets changes throughout a T20 match; in a Test match, they largely do not (302)”
“Cricket, like much of life, is ever-evolving. The moment one problem is resolved, another emerges (Eoin Morgan xii, Dec 2020)
Examples
“The introduction of DRS was possibly the single most revolutionary moment in the history of Test cricket (166).”
“Swing changes the way the ball moves through the air, and as a result changes the balance of power in the match. The most elusive element of the game, it is also arguably the most important. Without swing, cricket would be a totally different game.” (217).
“The increased success of left-handed batsmen was a direct, unforseen consequence of better umpiring” (363).
Context
The Butterfly Effect dictates that one small change can have an immense impact around the world. In Hitting Against the Spin, there are several instances where a small change in the rules and regulations changed how cricket was played.
5. Impact of Data and Moneyball in Cricket & Other Sports
Context
One of the key commentaries in the book is about the warnings of data. Statistics and data are only useful if analyzed from an unbiased point of view. If it is used to prove a personal point or win an argument, then it is of no use. The authors also distinguish Simplicity vs Complexity and how both perspectives are necessary to properly embed data into the context of the game.
Quotes
“Data democratizes truth. It makes us all, perhaps not equal, but closer to equal in the validity of our thoughts. It allows to tell right from wrong, insightful from mistaken…The data is never enough on its own. But expert insight buttressed by objective fact has a far better chance of being truth than myth and story.” (365)
“Balance and nuance must remain legitimate tools for useful understanding of many areas of the game to emerge….But once the exercise becomes about winning the argument, rather than discovering the truth, it is incredibly unlikely that you will achieve the latter.“
“If data analysis can be used correctly, to help aid the growth of the language around the game, that will be a contribution to the sport far greater than it has made to any single bowling attack or batting order...If we can succeed in identifying and giving name to the macro-patterns and strategies that already exist and shape T20 teams, then we can start to understand and describe them (315).”
“Humility, doubt, nuance, opening ourselves to the challenge, admitting the paradox of duality, these are necessary tools (171).
Impact of Moneyball and the Misconception
“I have nothing at all against Moneyball, the book by Michael Lewis. Firstly, it’s a great book. If you haven’t read it, then do; it’s a lovely way to spend a couple of days (and the film is fun too). And secondly, it got me a job. Ultimately, it was Andy Flower reading Moneyball that led to him recruiting me to work with the England cricket team and launched a whole new career for me. It is the term ‘Moneyball’ I find problematic. Because like all such zeigeisty words (think synergy, paradigm shift, etc.), it ends up being used to mean something slightly different by everyone who uses it, and so ends up not meaning anything at all. Moneyball was and is a story. It is not a technique, not a well-defined concept, and not a philosophy (339).
Here are some other quotes that were quite revealing, but to understand the true context, you should read the book.
Where Did the Title Come From?
“In the era when home advantage feels, at times, like it is becoming insurmountable, the rare success against high class opposition with armour-plated home records are worth looking at in detail. The sides who manage to buck the trend, such as England in 2012 or India in Australia in the winter of 2018-1, are welcome reminders that through diligence and attention to detail it is possible to learn the skills required to plan and win in alien conditions, even against those who are native to those surfaces and styles of play. Overcoming the innate structure in your upbringings and cricketing culture is possible, to overturn what is expected – to Hit Against the Spin (252).
Impact of Rahul Dravid on England’s Test Success
“Dravid in particular had already started to influence the England players and coaches’ thinking around the best method against spin. And in the preparations for the tour of India, this focus was redoubled (223).
On Ben Stokes’ 2018 Auction Purchase by Rajasthan Royals
“Zubin Barucha, ‘and so they’re playing game theory too, and trying to push you up. So the strategy going into the auction was very simple – we have to spend ninety percent of our money on eleven players and then just wing it from there (334). – On Ben Stokes RR 2018 auction
Individuals vs a Role-Defined Team
“In the words of Johan Cruff: Choose the best player for every position, and you’ll end up not with a strong XI, but with strong 1s (301).”
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Who are some of the unlucky Indian cricketers who never played for India? Rajinder Goel,Amol Muzumdar, Padmakar Shivalkar, AG Ram Singh, B.B. Nimbalkar, Amarjit Kaypee, Sudhakar Adhikari, Hari Gidwani,Jalaj Saxena, and Pandurang Salgaoncar are the Top 10 unluckiest players who never played for India.
Here is the complete list of 39 unlucky Indian players who never played for India (plus honorable mentions at the bottom).
Keep on reading.
List of Unlucky Players Who Never Played for India
*Note: Sunil Valson is not on this list because he was selected in the 1983 ODI World Cup on the basis of his List A exploits in the Deodhar & Duleep Trophies, not Ranji Trophy
46. Sheldon Jackson (Saurashtra, 2011-)
Role: Batter/Keeper
FC Record: 90 Matches, 6608 Runs, best of 186, 48.94 average, 20-100s, 36-50s
Claim to Fame: Integral part of the 2019-20 & 2022-23 winning Ranji Trophy teams & 2012-13, 2015-16, 2018-19 runner-up campaigns. 17th Highest run-scorer in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy (756 Runs, centuries in quarter & semi-finals), 5th Highest run-scorer in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy Season (819 Runs), and 9th Highest run-scorer in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy Season (854 Runs), Scored consecutive tons in the 2015 Vijay Hazare Trophy and scored 59* in record Irani Trophy run-chase (third highest run chase in India’s first-class system)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Scored 854 runs at 47.44 in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy and 809 runs at 50.56 the year after, but did not make it to the India A tours (was called up to India A tours earlier). Despite being a consistent presence in the Saurashtra line up, he has not been able to get into the national spotlight, which lead him to depression. He was rewarded with an IPL contract and some games with KKR though.
45. Pankaj Dharmani (Punjab, 1992-2010)
Role: Right Arm Bat, Wicketkeeper
FC Record: 147 Matches, 9312 Runs, best of 305*, 50.06 average, 100s-26, 50s-42
Claim to Fame: 1194 Runs in 1999-2000 season (at one point, he scored 608 runs without being dismissed)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
In 1996, he was selected to play 1 ODI, but did not get a chance in Test cricket. Played for India A vs England in tour matches as well.
He captained West Zone, but that was as far as he got in the Indian selection ladder.
43. Manoj Tiwary (Bengal, 2004-2023*)
Role: Right Arm Bat
FC Record: 139 Matches, 9776 Runs, best of 303*, 48.88 average, 100s-29, 50s-44
Claim to Fame: 29 first-class hundreds, 139 FC matches
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Siddharth Monga’s ESPNCricinfo description of Tiwary starts with, “Manoj Tiwary is not the most fortunate man in Indian cricket.” He received some opportunities in limited overs cricket (and did well) but was never given a consistent run or got injured. Even with 9776 first class runs, he did not play a single Test match.Selected for India A a number of times.
FC Record: 116 Matches, 420 Wickets, best 8/123 (innings) & 12/142 (match), 28.28 average, 5w/10w – 26/5
Claim to Fame: Highest wicket-taker for Bengal in his last decade of first-class cricket for almost every year (the only other year Dinda wasn’t #1 for Bengal, it was Mohammad Shami)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
He played 13 ODIs and 9 T20Is and was trolled for his T20 bowling, but unfortunately did not get a run in the format he preferred the most. In 2012, he played for India A against England.
FC Record: 97 Matches, 6701 Runs, best of 366, 48.91 average, 100s-21, 50s-27
Claim to Fame: 366 Runs vs Andhra in 1993/94, the fourth best score of all time in Ranji (3rd best at that time). He entered at 30/1 & left at 880/5, a world record
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Although he was among the best in the domestic circuit, he could not break into the national squad at any stage of his career.
FC Record: 134 Matches, 9777 runs, 50.13 average, 24-100s, 52-50s
Claim to Fame: 5th Highest Ranji Trophy run scorer of all time (8700)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Not that close. Although he is a stalwart in the first-class circuit, most of his runs has come for Sikkim in the Plate Group.He was a rewarded with a Kochi Tuskers Kerela contract in IPL 2011.
Claim to Fame: Part of the 1998 U-19 WC Squad, 44 first class wickets in the 1999-2000 season
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Was close to selection after his stellar 1999-2000 season, but came even closer in 2007, when he was included in the India-Bangladesh Test series. However, he did not play in the XI and was never considered for selection again.According to Siddharta Vaidyanathan from ESPNCricinfo, at his first-class debut at the age of 16, “Pawar was being touted as India’s next great left-arm spin hope.” Unfortunately, that never materialized.
Role: Allrounder (Right arm legspin/lower order batter)
FC Record: 50 Matches, 108 Wickets/1202 Runs, 6/34 (best innings), best of 142*, 28.62 bowling average, 24.53 batting average, 2/0 (5w/10w), 2-100s
Claim to Fame: Bowling alongside Salim Durani for Central Zone, they dismantled North Zone for 85/10. Played number of gutsy knocks as well including two hundreds
FC Record: 50 Matches, 134 Wickets/1536 Runs, 7/58 (best innings), best of 97, 26.24 bowling average, 24.38 batting average, 5/0 (5w/10w), 11-50s
Claim to Fame: Was regularly selected for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Dilip Vengsarkar said that “he was unlucky to have never played for India.” Sandeep Patil concluded that “he was in contention for the Indian berth in those days” but fell short in his bating to get the allrounder spot.
Claim to Fame: 5th Highest wicket taker of 2003-04 Ranji Trophy (33 wickets in just 9 innings)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Was selected for the tour to East Africa in 2004 and later for the fourth Test vs Australia in 2004 & series against Bangladesh that year, but never got a shot. By his own admission, taking Marcus Trescothick’s wicket in a Board President’s XI in 2006 was one of his most memorable moments.
Claim to Fame: In the 2006-07 season, he took 57 wickets, 9th best season haul of time (6th best at that time). According to ESPNCricinfo, after 10,658 & 2,113 List A deliveries, he had not bowled a single no ball.
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Although he was called up for the fast bowling conditioning camp by Greg Chappell, the dream was never fulfilled due to competition and lack of pace. With Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, and VRV Singh getting chances, Bose never got a shot despite his consistency.
Role: Allrounder (Left hand bat, Slow Left arm orthodox)
FC Record: 80 Matches, 194 Wickets/2297 Runs, 7/85 (best innings), best of 104, 27.30 bowling average, 25.80 batting average, 100s-2, 50s-16 7/1 – 5w/10w
Claim to Fame: Top scored in the final with 71 in Karnataka’s first Ranji Trophy win in the 1973-74 season
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
With the spin quartet ruling Indian cricket, there was not much chance for him to break into the Indian squad. Took 6/79 & 3/89 in the 1978/79 Karnataka vs West Indians tour match.
31. Syed Hyder Ali (Railways, 1963-1988)
Role: Allrounder (left hand bat/slow left arm orthodox)
FC Record: 113 Matches, 366 Wickets/3125 Runs, 9/25 (best innings), best of 121, 19.71 bowling average, 22.64 batting average, 100s-3, 50s-10, 25/3 – 5w/10w
Claim to Fame: Has the 4th Best bowling figures in Ranji Trophy history, 9/25
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Well respected in the domestic circuit, he never made it to the national stage due to India’s famed spin quartet.
Claim to Fame: Best bowling figures in Ranji Trophy History (10/78 in 1956-57); Took 15 wickets in the 1955-56 semi-final to push Bengal to the final
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Chuni Goswami, who captained Bengal to the 1971/72 title, reckons that Chatterjee “would have been very successful if he was born in this era. It’s really sad that he could not play for India because of poor backing from the state administration.”
29. Rajinder Singh Hans (Uttar Pradesh, 1976-1987)
Claim to Fame: 9/152 one of the best individual wickets haul
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Was called up to the 1979-80 Test series but never played an international game.
28. Yere Goud (Karnataka, Railways, 1994-2011)
Role: Batter
FC Record: 134 Matches, 7650 Runs, best of 221*, 45.53 average, 16-100s, 39-50s
Claim to Fame: Won 2 Ranji Trophies, 3 Irani Cps, and a Duleep Trophy, and a Ranji one-day trophy. Played 100 Ranji Trophy matches
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Despite score 761 runs in the 2001-02 Ranji season and regular member of the India A ide at that time, he could not find a place in the Indian middle order. At his retirement, Javagal Srinath that Goud was the “Rahul Dravid of the Railways team.”
FC Record: 111 Matches, 7679 Runs, 50.85 average, 23-100s, 31-50s
Claim to Fame: Highest scorer of the 2003-04 Ranji Trophy season with 1066 runs in just 12 innings
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
He was selected in the squad for the 4th Test vs Australia in 2004 based on a good performance in India A’s tour to Kenya and was also the reserve opener in the 2005 Zimbabwe Test series.
26. Surinder Bhave (Maharashtra, 1986-2001)
Role: Right Arm Bat
FC Record: 97 Matches, 7971 Runs, best of 292, 58.18 average, 28-100s, 27-50s
Claim to Fame: Joint 6th highest number of centuries in Ranji Trophy
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Was selected for the 1992-93 SAARC Quadrangular tournament, a competition betwen India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh made up of ‘A’ squads. Bhave scored 81, but the final was abandoned due to riots in Dhaka.
Claim to Fame: Was selected for East Zone in Duleep Trophy in 2009. Leading wicket-taker for Odisha in the 2018-19 season
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Statistically, he should have been right at the top in the national conversation. However, with India’s pace attack rising in this decade, Mohanty never got his chance.
*still playing
24. Priyank Panchal (Gujarat, 2008-)
Role: Right Arm Opening Batter
FC Record: 111 Matches, 7901 Runs, best of 314*, 47.02 average, 26-100s, 31-50s
Claim to Fame: Scored 1310 runs at 87.33 in 2016-17, when the weight of his runs lead Gujarat to a maiden Ranji Trophy victory. Between 2016-19, he had the most first class runs by anyone in India
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
When Rohit Sharma was injured for the tour of South Africa in 2021, Panchal was called up as cover.He was also in the England Test series squad that year and has been on the fringes with the India A for a number of years now.Earlier this year, Panchal was India A’s red ball captain, but another member in that India A squad got the Test cap before him—Shreyas Iyer.
Almost 33, it is difficult to see him making a debut now.
Claim to Fame: Most successful bowler for Hyderabad in that era with 86 wickets in five seasons
How Close Was He to Indian Test cap?
He was named in the probables for the 1977-78 tour of Australia, but that was the farthest he got.
V Ramnarayan was “India’s third-best offspinner, kept out of the national side only by the giant skills of Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.”Based on this opinion, he wrote the book, “Third Man.”
22. KN Ananthapadmanabhan (Kerela, 1988-2004)
Role: Right arm Legspin/Allrounder
FC Record: 105 Matches, 344 Wickets/2891 Runs, 8/57 (best innings), best of 200, 27.54 bowling average, 21.90 batting average, 25/5 (5w/10w), 3-100s, 8 -50s
Claim to Fame: Scored a double century and cemented his tag of an all-rounder
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Received a few opportunities for India A, but not on the national stage as his career coincided with Anil Kumble.Now an umpire.
21. Sistanshu Kotak (Saurashtra, 1992-2013)
Role: Left-handed Batter
FC Record: 130 Matches, 8061 Runs, 60 Wickets, 6/81 (best innings), best of 168*, 41.76 batting average, 15-100s, 55-50s
Claim to Fame: At the time of his retirement, Kotak was the highest scorer in Ranji Trophy never to have won the title. They went to the finals in his final game in 2013, but lost to Mumbai in the finals
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
In his own words Kotak said that “Every player wants to play for his country. That could not happen for me, but that is not a regret. Maybe I was not destined to.”
FC Record: 139 Matches, 8317 Runs, best of 220, 42.21 average, 16-100s, 51-50s
Claim to Fame: Won the 2010-11 Ranji Trophy, 5th highest number of Ranji matches played (126)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
With India’s middle order settled and even Amol Muzumdar not getting a chance, the likes of Rashmi Parida never got to see the green light for national selection.He did play a tour game against England though.
FC Record: 139 Matches, 8700 Runs, Bet of 224, 51.17 Average, 27-100s, 42-50s
Claim to Fame: At the time of his retirement, only Tamil Nadu player to play 100 Ranji Trophy matches
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Not very close due to the competition. He played in a Board President’s XI match vs Sri Lanka, but did not get any further.
Like many first-class giants during this time, Sharath just couldn’t break through the Indian squad with the golden generation of Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, and VVS Laxman around. When he retired from Tamil Nadu cricket (came back year later for Assam), he said “My not playing for India, and the fact that Tamil Nadu did not win a Ranji Trophy title in my time, remain my biggest disappointments. The hard work factor was missing during the time I played.”
18. Parvez Rasool (Jammu & Kashmir, 2008-2022)
Role: Allrounder (Right arm off break, Right arm bat)
FC Record: 87 matches, 299 Wickets/5023 Runs, 8/85 (best innings) & 12/73 (best match), best of 182, 27.92 bowling average, 37.76 batting average, 20/4 – 5w/10w, 100s-13, 50s-20
Claim to Fame: Lala Amarnath Award (best allrounder) in 2013-14 & 2016-17 seasons
What a colossal allrounder he was in Ranji Trophy. First cricketer from Kashmir to be picked for India A, he took seven wickets against Australia while representing the Board President’s XI team in 2013. He went on to play a couple of limited overs matches in 2014 and was recalled in 2017 for the T20 squad, but never for Test cricket.
Claim to Fame: Holds the record for the 5th best season hall—62 wickets in 1999-2000 season.
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
He was selected for an India A vs England A in 1994/95 and did pretty well. However with Test season ending soon and Rajesh Chauhan India’s first choice off-spinner, he could not make it into the team. With 113 wickets after the age of 40, he still had a desire to play for the nation.
16. Faiz Fazal (Vidharba, 2003-2023*)
Role: Right Arm Opener (right arm medium part-time)
FC Record: 135 Matches, 9128 Runs, best of 206, 41.68 average, 100s-24, 50s-39
Claim to Fame: In the 2015-16 season, he scored 714 runs at 44.62 (including 127 in chase of 480 in Irani Cup)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Played 1 ODI, scored 55 runs. Never played for India again. For all his first first-class run-scoring abilities, never received a Test call up.Did receive an India A call up during that time though.
He was later selected for the first Test against England in 2001 in the 14-man squad. However, he did not win the competition for the opening batter battle as Shiv Sunder Das and Deep Dasgupta opened.
12. Mithun Manhas (Delhi, 1997-2016)
Role: Right arm batter/wicketkeeper/allrounder
FC Record: 157 Matches, 9714 Runs, best of 205*, 45.82 average, 100s-27, 50s-49
Claim to Fame: 7th all-time Ranji run-scorer (8554), 9th most centuries (25), 3rd most matches played in Ranji (135)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
With India’s Fab Four in their prime, there was never a chance that Manhas could break into India’s Test squad. Domestic giant nevertheless.
FC Record: 133 Matches, 410 Wickets/6567 Runs, 8/36 (best innings) & 16/154 (best match), best of 194, 25.97 bowling average, 34.74 batting average, 28/7 – 5w/10w, 100s-14, 50s-32
Claim to Fame: Lala Amarnath (best all rounder award) in 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2017-18. Became the only Indian to hit a 100 & take an 8-wicket innings haul twice in the same match. Only player apart from Anil Kumble to take 16 wickets in a Ranji Trophy match
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Although he was selected in India A in 2013, he was out of contention till 2019 when he returned to play for India A against England Lions and South Africa A. He said “I spoke to the selectors and asked them. They told me that I am in their sights and they are watching me, and if they get the chance, they’ll give me an opportunity.”
That opportunity never came. The closest he got was in 2021 when Ravindra Jadeja was injured for the England Test series. However, Axar Patel got the nod (and Axar made it count).
*still playing
9. Hari Gidwani (Delhi, Bihar, 1972-1992)
Role: Right arm bat
FC Record: 119 Matches, 6805 Runs, best of 229, 42.53 average, 100s-15, 50s-32
Claim to Fame: Scored centuries in 5 consecutive Ranji Trophy matches between 1986-1988
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Scored 46 against West Indies and a century vs Sri Lanka in tour matches but did not climb the final ladder to national glory.In his own words, Gidwani stated that “I was closest to India selection in 1975-76 when I got a hundred against the visiting Sri Lankan team.”
Claim to Fame: Once hit Sunil Gavaskar on the hand. Was one of the fastest bowlers in the 1970s in India’s domestic circuit
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Very, very close. Played the unofficial Tests vs Sri Lanka in 1974. Then was in the West Zone team who played the West Indies XI. Madan Lal and Syed Abid Ali were selected after these matches respectively, with Salgaoncar narrowly missing out. On a couple of occasions, he was called for the 1975 World Cup team, but could not make it past the trials.
7. Sudhakar Adhikari (Mumbai, 1959-1971)
Role: Right Arm Opener
FC Record: 65 Matches, 3779 Runs, best of 192, 40.63 average, 100s-11, 50s-18
Claim to Fame: Scored a century in the morning and reached his wedding venue by the night
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
According to V Ramnarayan (in the list above himself), Adhikari was “considered distinctly unlucky not to gain the approval of the Indian selections in the 1960s.”
6. Amarjit Kaypee (Haryana, Punjab, 1980-2000)
Role: Right hand bat
FC Record: 117 Matches, 7894 runs, best of 210*, 52.27 average, 100s-27, 50s-34
Claim to Fame: At the time of his retirement, he was the highest run-scorer in Ranji history. 6th Most number of Ranji 100s (27), 2nd at the time. Once scored 150+ in both innings of a match
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
According to ESPNCricinfo, “there have been many cricketers who have received a raw deal from a jaundiced selectorial eye and Kaypee must consider himself very unlucky in this regard.”
Role: Right hand bat/wicketkeeper/Right arm Fast medium
FC Record: 80 Matches, 4841 Runs, best of 443*, 47.93 average, 100s-12, 50s-22
Claim to Fame: Highest individual score in Ranji Trophy history and the highest score for a cricketer never to have played international cricket—443*
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Played for the country unofficially against a Commonwealth match in 1949-50. However despite an illustrious domestic career from 1939-1965, he did not play a Test match.
Role: Allrounder (Left hand bat/slow left arm orthodox)
FC Record: 56 Matches, 265 Wickets/3314 Runs, 8/14 (best innings), best of 126, 18.56 bowling average, 35.25 batting average, 24/8 – 5w/10w, 100s-6, 50s-22
Claim to Fame: Became the second cricketer to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the Ranji trophy
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
Played in two unofficial Tests in 1935-36 in the tour to England and was selected in 1945 to a tour to Ceylon, but never had the honor to don the Indian cap. Due to his excellent all-round abilities, Natarajan Sriram reckons that “AJ Ram Singh takes his place as one of the unluckiest cricketers in the history of Indian cricket.”
Claim to Fame: 361 Ranji wickets for Mumbai (record), Joint-second 10-wicket hauls in Ranji (11)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
He went to Sri Lanka in 1973-74 and played a couple of tour matches.
From the age of 22 to the age of 48, Shivalkar played first class cricket. Yet during those 26 years, not once did he get a chance to represent India at a national level. With Bishan Singh Bedi, one of the all-time greatest, wreaking havocand Rajinder Goel not getting a chance, Shivalkar was left behind.
FC Record: 171 Matches, 11167 runs, best of 260, 48.13 average, 100s-30, 50s-60
Claim to Fame: 2nd highest All-time Ranji Runs (9205), 5th highest all-time centuries (28), 2nd most number of Ranji matches (136), Vice-captain of the 1994 India U-19 Team (As of 2007, he had won Mumbai 7 Ranji trophy titles)
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
By his own admission, he came close to the Indian team spot in 1994. Even after years of consistent runs scoring, selectors did not consider him. He deliberated quitting cricket in 2002, but ended up playing till 2013.
Fun fact. When Vinod Kambli & Sachin Tendulkar scored the 664-run partnership in their school days, Amol Muzumdar was slotted in the next position. That was probably the closest he got to the India cap.
Claim to Fame: Most Ranji wickets of all-time (637), 3rd Longest career (27 years), Highest wicket taker in the 1978-79, 79-80, 83-84, and 84-85 season. 53 five-fers & 17 10-fers, both Ranji records
How Close Was He to Indian Test Cap?
He played an unofficial Test against Ceylon in 1964-65, taking 4/33 in the second innings.According to Bishan Singh Bedi, ‘Goely, as I called him, was a much better bowler than me. Honestly, I was just lucky that I got the break [to play for India]. I was very fortunate. That is where Goely might have missed out. But I rated him very highly.”
Will Sarfaraz Khan Remain an Unlucky Indian Cricketer?
Will Sarfaraz Khan add to the list of unlucky Indian cricketers who never played international cricket? The man has been bludgeoning runs for the last couple of first couple of first-class seasons.
At the moment, his first-class record reads: 37 Matches, 3505 Runs, 79.65 average, 13 centuries, 9 fifties, and a best of 301*.
Some like Jaydev Unadkat and Shahbaz Nadeem have recently lived to see the dream by playing a couple of Test matches after years of toil. Others like Priyank Panchal, KS Bharat, & Abhimanyu Easwaran have traveled with the reserve and India A squads for the last few years without breaking into the XI. Prithvi Shaw scored a 379 and still cannot break in the Indian Test squad.
On the other hand, the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav have broken into India’s Test squads due to heroics in other formats. There is no right and wrong here, but due to timing and form, some first-class legends have missed out on international Test careers.
Honorable Mentions And Those Who Just Played 1-3 Test Matches (Separated by Era)
1950-1970
Vaman Vishwanath Kumar (2 Tests)
Played 2 Tests and got 7 wickets despite having a FC career of 599 wickets. In the era of the spin quartet
Abdul Ismail, Saad Bin Jung, AV Jayaprakash, Barun Burman, Uday Joshi, Sarkar Talwar, Vijay Mohanraj, Michael Dalvi, Naushir Mehta, Anil Mathur
1980-1990
Sadanand Vishwanath (3 Tests)
S Vasudevan, Abdul Azeem
1990-2000
Ajay Sharma (1 Test)
Scored 10,000+ first class runs at an average of 67.46 played exactly 1 Test for India (and later getting banned for match-fixing scandal). Also had 7 double tons in Ranji Trophy history.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar (2 Tests)
Ashish Winston Zaidi, Sunil Subramaniam
Post 2000s
Subramaniam Badrinath (2 Tests)
Vinay Kumar
Although Kumar played 31 ODI matches for India, he played only 1 Test match. For someone with 139 FC match experience & 504 wickets at an average of 22.44 to his name, that is a shame
Rishi Dhawan, Basant Mohanty
Also Read other articles in our Unlucky Cricketer Series:
Unlucky Indian Cricketers Who Never Played for India – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)?
Who is the unluckiest Indian cricketer and why?
Rajinder Goel is the unluckiest cricketer. Despite taking 750 first class wickets and 637 Ranji Trophy wickets (100+ more than the next highest), he was never considered at the highest level.
Who is the unluckiest player in cricket history?
Rajinder Goel & Amol Muzumdar are the unluckiest players in Indian history. They both have played for more than two decades and hold records in their respective crafts. Due to competition from India’s spin quartet in the 1960s, Rajinder Goel could not break through India’s ranks and due to the presence of the Fab Four, Amol Muzumdar could not break through.
Who are the best Indian players who have not played for the Indian national team?
Rajinder Goel, Padmakar Shivalkar, Amol Muzumdar, Hari Gidwani, AJ Ram Singh, B.B. Nimbalkar, Amarjit Kaypee, Paras Dogra, Mithun Manhas, and Pandurang Salgaoncar are the Top 10 unluckiest players who never played for India.
Who has played the most Ranji Trophy games without representing India?
Devendra Bundela (145), Amol Muzumdar (136), Mithun Manhas (135), Rashmi Parida, and Rajinder Goel (123) played the most Ranji Trophy matches without representing India.
How much do cricketers earn per year? – Men’s Edition.
On average domestic first-class cricketers earn $85,000 per year, an international cricketer might earn anywhere from $200,000-$2 million (depending on contract tier and nationality), and T20 freelance cricketers earn per year in the range of $700,000-$1.7 million.
This is a start to our new series on Finances in Cricket. Why?
Well because international cricket is at its fulcrum of its continental divide. The tectonic plates comprising of international cricket, T20 leagues, and World Cups are about to crash and massive seismic activity is going to take place in the next decade or so.
At the heart of the matter is the professionalization of cricket, and individual cricketers now having choices. Today we explore seven templates for cricketers to make a professional career in today’s world and analyze how much these cricketers earn per year on average.
Cricket is no longer in the 1990s, where playing at the international level was the only feasible way to earn a sustainable living with maybe an additional County contract.
We have identified seven different types of players and how much does each type of cricketer earn. These types are:
First Class Players Only (Ranji, County, Sheffield Shield)
Test Player + County contract (ex: Cheteshwar Pujara)
All 3 format player + IPL contract (ex: David Warner)
2 formats + IPL (ex: Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock)
Fringe national player + 2/3 franchise leagues per year (ex: Sam Billings)
Only T20 circuit (ex: Imran Tahir/Tim David)
TNPL/KPL + IPL Deal (ex: Varun Chakravarthy)
Note the seventh type of player is a rare edge case – those who get selected for the IPL without any domestic or international experience (for ex, Pravin Tambe & TNPL stars like Varun Chakravarthy).
Cricketer Salaries
1. How Much Do First Class Cricketers Earn Per year?
County Cricket Average Annual Salary
Minimum: $29,000, $19,500 for rookies
Average; $125,000
How the County Cricket Contract Structure Works
The minimum wage for a County Cricketer is about 24,000 pounds per year ($29,000)and for rookie signings, close to 16,000 pounds per year ($19, 500).
However, actual salaries for more experienced players and overseas signings are probably much higher. For example, in its 2021-22 Annual Report, Kent County spent 2.1 million pounds ($2.5 million) on wages in 2021, provided to 20 cricketers.
This averages to an estimate of about $125,000 per year for a County cricketer.
*Note: The average County salary may vary drastically from county to county based on funding, crowd attendance, etc.
How the Indian Domestic Cricket Pay Structure Works
The structure for Indian domestic cricket is quite interesting. Indian first-class players are paid per day rather than on a contract basis. Hence a day of Ranji Trophy game or a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 is worth the same amount.
I am pleased to announce the hike in match fee for domestic cricketers.
Before 2021, all players earned about Rs 35,000 ($440/day) and Rs. 17,500 ($220/day). However, the new Indian domestic salary structure is now dependent on seniority as follows:
Number of Career Matches Played
Salary (if selected in the XI)
Salary (if in reserves)
1-20
Rs 40,000 ($500)
Rs 20,000 ($250)
21-40
Rs 50,000 ($630)
Rs 25,000 ($315)
41+
Rs 60,000 ($750)
Rs 30,000 ($375)
Indian Domestic Player Salaries
A Ranji Trophy league game is usually 4-day games and knockout matches are 5-day games. Hence, the amount of money a player is paid per Ranji Trophy league match is as follows:
1-20 matches: $2,000 (in the XI), $1,000 (Reserves)
21-40 matches; $2,520 (XI), $1,260 (Reserves)
41-60 matches: $3,000 (XI), $1,500 (Reserves)
For knockout matches, the corresponding amount is $2,500 ($1,250 – reserves), $3,150($1,575), and $3,750 (1,875) for the three brackets respectively.
Total Domestic Season Salary
Due to the pandemic disruption, some of the formats were tweaked or tournaments were cancelled altogether. However, we can look back at the 2018-19 season to see how a regular season would look like:
Tournament
League Games
Knockouts
Maximum Days Played
Ranji Trophy
8 (4-day)
3 (5-day)
47
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (New format)
5
4
9
Vijay Hazare Trophy
8
3
11
Duleep Trophy
2 (4-day)
1 (5-day)
13
Deodhar Trophy
2
1
3
Irani Cup
1 (4-day)
4
Total
25 matches (55 days)
13 (32 days)
87 days
*Note, the Duleep Trophy (India Blue, India Red, India Green) & Deodhar Trophy (India A, India B, India C) does not include all players, and some of these Indian players might already be on a national contract.
Hence, an experienced player (41+ matches) who has played all 87 days of cricket, can earn up to $65, 250 per season. Of course, that means each of their teams would need to get to the final in these six tournaments, which will be a rare occurrence.
On the other hand, a reserve inexperienced player (less than 20 career matches), who does not get selected for Duleep, Deodhar, and Irani Trophy will receive pay for about 45 days per year. That player can earn about $11,000 per season.
However, an average Indian domestic cricketer is somewhere in the middle. The average player might play all of the Ranji league games, SMAT, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy and may have 21-40 matches in his career. Such a player may earn around $28,630 per season.
According to cricket.com.au, the average retainer salary of domestic Australian cricketer who plays all formats is 198,000 Australian dollars ($145,000).
NZ domestic players earn via an annual Retainer salary plus match fees.
The retainers range from 27,000-53,000 NZ dollars ($17,000-$33,000 USD). The match fees are 1,650 NZD per Plunkett Shield (first class) game, 800 for Ford Trophy (List A), and 575 NZD for T20 Super Smash.
The Plunkett Shield consists of 8 matches per season, 10-12 matches for Ford Trophy, and 10-12 matches for the T20 Super Smash. Hence, a player can earn between 26,950-29,700 NZD ($17,000-$18,700 USD) in match fees.
Hence, the minimum a player can earn is around $34,000 while the maximum is around $51,700.
Prototype Player: Cheteshwar Pujara – Test cricketer only, plays in County Cricket in the off season
Cheteshwar Pujara Estimated Annual Salary: $1-1.5 million
Cheteshwar Pujara was demoted from Grade A to Grade B list for the current 2021-2022 season. Grade B pays around 3 crore rupees ($381,000) annually.
In addition, match fee for an Indian Test cricket is about 15 lakh rupees ($19,000). If Pujara plays, on average, 10 Tests per year, then he would earn around $190,000 from match fees.
It is not clear how much Pujara received as an overseas signing for Sussex.
However, since the salary cap is around $2.45 million and the minimum wage for a county player is around $29,000, we can estimate a range of Pujara’s salary. Since there are around 24 cricketers in the squad, if we assume around 10 Sussex cricketers are on minimum wage, 10 more who earn around $50,000, then Pujara might be receiving somewhere between $400,000-$1,000,000 as an overseas signing
Adding it all up, Pujara’s salary is about $1-1.5 million.
3. How much do three format players earn per year?
Prototype Player: David Warner – Plays all 3 formats at the international level & the Indian Premier League (IPL)
David Warner Estimated Annual Salary: $2 million
In the latest rounds of Australian contracts, David Warner earned about 1.5 million AUD ($1 million USD) along with match fees as follows:
Home Test Fees: $18,000 AUD ($12,500 USD)
Away Test Fees: $25,000 AUD ($17,275 USD)
ODI Fees: $7,000 AUD ($4,800 USD)
T20I Fees $5,500 AUD ($3,800 USD)
Since the 2021 T20 World Cup (including the T20 WC), David Warner has played 10 Tests (5 home, 5 away), 5 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. This amounts to a total of $210,875 in match fees.
In any addition, as a prominent three format player, he was picked at the IPL by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 IPL auction for Rs. 6.25 crore ($791,000).
If we add the national contract, match fees, and IPL deal, then David Warner earns an estimated $2 million per year.
Stokes has already played 12 Tests this year with 3 more to come against South Africa next month. Although he hasn’t played many T20Is recently, England are scheduled to play 7 T20Is vs Pakistan, 3 vs Australia, and at least 5 T20Is in the 2022 T20 World Cup for a total of 15 T20Is.
Combining the Test and T20I fees, Stokes could earn about $346,500 in match fees this year.
Prototype Player: Sam Billings – Not nationally contracted player (reserve player). May IPL & 1-2 other most popular leagues to compensate
Estimated Annual Salary: $700,000-800,000
Sam Billings has been carrying drinks for England since the inception of the Earth. For someone who is always a substitute, never a permanent – how much does he actually earn?
Most famously, he had to drive 500 miles in Australia from the Big Bash as a reserve player in England’s Ashes tour of Australia. He has always been in and out of the squad, but with England’s enviable limited overs depth and with Ben Foakes & Jonny Bairstow already in Tests, he does not get much game time. In his own words,
“It would be a very Sam Billings thing to do to drive nine hours to run the drinks”
– Sam Billings
Already 31 years old, Billings has only played 3 Tests, 25 ODIs, and 37 T20Is. Being a reserve player means, he usually travels with the squad, thereby missing out on T20 leagues that happen during this time. Moreso, Billings got removed from the 2021-2022 ECB contract.
This year, he has played 3 Tests, 4 T20Is, and zero ODIs for a total match fee of $74, 800. For a player like him, he has to compensate via multiple streams of income. He just signed a contract extension with Kent, which by our own averages amounts to about $125,000.
T20 League Salaries
Finally, Sam Billings plays in the most popular T20 leagues around the world:
IPL – He was picked by KKR for Rs 2 crore ($250,000) in IPL 2022 auctions
PSL – Islamabad United – Bilings was picked in the Silver Category of the draft – Pakistan Rs. 2.4 million ($10,500)
He has played an essential part at Sydney Thunder and is most likely to be a part of the new r lucrative overseas draft, which will feature four categories: Platinum – $AUD 340,000 ($236,000), Gold – $AUD 260,000 ($181,000), Silver – $AUD – 175,000 ($121,000), and Bronze – $AUD 100,000 ($70,000).
In total, Billings may earn around $400,000-$650,000 in leagues alone. All in all, Sam Billings’ estimated annual income is around $700,000-800,000 when streams of income are combined.
6. How much do IPL cricketers earn per year on average?
Protype Player: Varun Chakravarthy – Surprise player, rags to riches stories (rare cases), usually sprout up from the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and the Karnataka Premier League (KPL)
Minimum: $26,250
Maximum: $1-2 million
The IPL is a volatile market for salaries.
In the IPL 2022 auction, 204 players were sold for Rs. 54,580 lac total, for an average price of Rs. 267.55 lac ($337,000). KL Rahul was retained for a whopping Rs 17 crore ($2.1 million) per season, while the lowest player was sold at Rs. 20 lacs ($25,000) per season.
Chakravarthy himself was retained by KKR for Rs 8 crore ($1 million). His rise is accredited to the 2018 TNPL season, which resulted in his purchase by KXIP in IPL 2022. Since then, he has made a name for himself in IPL 2021 at KKR and was subsequently selected for the Indian national team for the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Tamil Nadu Premier League salary ranges from Rs. 1-5 lac ($1,250-$6,315) depending on domestic and international experience.
7. How much do T20 leagues freelance cricketers earn per year?
Prototype Player: Tim David, Imran Tahir, Rilee Rossouw (before international comeback) – Unlike Sam Billings, players in this category might not be in the national radar at all and may have the freedom to play in T20 leagues all year around.
Estimated Annual Salary: $1.7 million
Tim David
IPL: 8.25 crore ($1 million)
PSL: $130,000 (Platinum category)
Hundred: $36,000-$150,000
CPL: $20,000-$160,000
Big Bash: $70,000-$250,000
In addition, players like Rossouw have also played in the Bangladesh Premier League (salaries range from $20,000-$150,000) and the Lanka Premier League ($10,000-$60,000).
With the UAE International T20 league and other smaller leagues sprouting up, this salary will inevitably rise as the number of leagues will grow (quality may decrease, though).
The list goes on and on. Cricket is changing fast. If you blink, you’ll miss what is happening.
Where do all these issues stem from? The issue involves MONEY.
In this series, we will research and investigate it all. How much money does each cricket board earn, who are the richest cricketers, how are resources divided in international tournaments, how much money it takes to host Test cricket, etc., but today we focus on the central issue – how much do different types of cricketers earn per year?
Player salaries matter because that dictates the choices that players will make.
Even though Cricket Australia offers hefty contracts to their national players, especially to top tier players like David Warner, Steve Smith, and Aaron Finch, this innate structure is being threatened by the money in franchise leagues.
It is rumored that the UAE International T20 league will be the second most lucrative league after the IPL, and they are offering around $450,000 for Australian players to poach them from the Big Bash League, that is held during the same time.
If top Australian players do not opt for the Big Bash, who will? This may create conflict between the players and the national board, which can result in a messy standoff. Australian cricket could lose money, which would jeopardize the national contracts.
For the other players like New Zealand & South Africa, playing in foreign leagues is not an option but a necessity. They do not get paid nearly enough to afford a decent living.
Finally, in an age of T20, players like Pujara and solely domestic/Test players are squeezed out. County cricket offers another stream of income, but with separation of formats a possibility, maybe an international First-Class franchise league may be an idea to think about.
First class cricketers earn anywhere between $30,000-$145,000 per year depending on the nation, with an average of about $85,000.
How much does Ben Stokes earn?
Ben Stokes earns around $1.5 million (excluding captaincy bonuses, IPL deals, and other endorsements).
What is Cheteshwar Pujara’s salary?
Cheteshwar Pujara’s annual estimated salary is around $1-1.5 million.
What is David Warner’s salary?
David Warner earns about $2 million annually from his national contracts, match fees, and IPL deals alone.
How much do County Cricketers earn?
County cricketers earn a minimum wage of 24,000 pounds ($29,000). However, county teams have a salary cap of $2-3 million. Hence experienced players and overseas signings may be signed around $400,000-$1,000,000. Therefore, the average salary of a County cricketer may be estimated to be around $125,000.
How much do Indian domestic Ranji Trophy players earn?
Indian first-class domestic players earn based on their experience. Salaries may range from $11,000 for inexperienced players on the reserve squad, while experienced players who play most of the matches may earn up to $65,000.
Should Virat Kohli…be in India’s T20 World Cup squad? Should he not? The burning question in every Indian fan’s mind. Rohit Sharma is getting increasingly annoyed with every press conference (Here are his conferences after the 1st ODI and 2nd ODI vs England).
Virat Kohli has now been rested for the West Indies 5-match T20I series. India’s series against South Africa and Ireland gave a hint of India’s new aggressive gameplay and how the future might look without Kohli. These five games against the West Indies will make it clear, can India survive without Virat Kohli?
Here is my take—Virat Kohli should be in the Indian T20 World Cup squad but as a floater, not the #3 batter.
What are the Pros of Having Virat Kohli in India’s T20 World Cup Squad?
Several international players have come to Virat Kohli’s defense. Rohit Sharma reiterated that even though each player suffers from ups and downs in his or her career, the player’s quality never reduces. Here are some other reasons why a player like Virat Kohli might be valuable in a T20 World Cup.
Experience matters in a World Cup
Great record across formats in Australia consistently for the past 14 years
Player of the tournament in 2014/2016 T20 World Cups. Single handedly carried India.
Although IPL record is poor, his recent T20I stats have been pretty decent
Virat Kohli’s T20I Stats Since December 2020 (Post-Pandemic Break)
One of the misconceptions from Virat Kohli’s bad form is due to all formats getting mixed – Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and IPL. He has horrid IPL seasons and been found out at the Test level at times as well, but in ODIs and T20Is, he has been pretty solid.
In summary, since Dec 2020, Virat Kohli in T20Is has stats:
17 matches, 15 innings, 514 runs, 46.72 average, 134.55 SR, best of 85, 6 fifties, 1 duck
Here are his overall career T20I stats:
99 matches, 91 innings, 3308 runs, 50.12 average, 137.66 SR, best of 94*, 30 fifties, 3 ducks
What are the Cons of Having Virat Kohli in India’s T20 World Cup Squad?
Now that we have discussed some of the positives, now let us discuss what is on everybody’s mind. Kapil Dev, Venkatesh Prasad, and lots of other cricketers have asked for players to be picked on form and merit, not reputation.
So, is there a way to fitting Virat Kohli in the squad while considering both of these things?
The answer is YES. Virat Kohli can play a similar role to what Steve Smith played during Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup victory run.
Possible Scenarios for Virat Kohli
Since India are going with an ultra-aggressive batting approach, there will be volatile days when the team may collapse. Going for 225 everyday, the team might end up collapsing for a score below 100.
In this case, a Grant Elliot-esque insurance policy is needed. For India, Virat Kohli can be that insurance policy (In the current setup, either Dinesh Karthik comes in earlier to do this role or Axar Patel has been sent to delay DK’s entry. In both cases, India lost momentum. Virat Kohli instead of Axar Patel would be the ideal scenario)
Here are some get possible scenarios:
If openers have a blazing start, send in Sanju Samson-Suryakumar Yadav-Hardik Pandya, etc. depending on the situation/number of overs left. Push Virat Kohli down the order until absolutely necessary.
If an opener gets out early, still send Suryakumar Yadav in hoping he will continue the positive approach. However, if another wicket falls during this tricky phase, send Virat Kohli at #4 to stem the flow of wickets.
While chasing, if it is a tricky small run-chase in difficult batting conditions, send Virat Kohli at #3.
Another option is to carry him in the World Cup squad without playing him in the XI. In case another batter is horridly out of form during the World Cup or gets injured, Virat Kohli can adapt to whatever role is necessary.
In this way, India will still be utilizing Virat Kohli’s core skills and experience rather than expecting him to be India’s modern T20 #3 batter.
Final Thoughts
Rohit Sharma made it clear in his press conference that each player will be given confidence, especially since India are trying to play with a new approach. Failures will happen, but judgements should not be made based on one or two series.
Based on his recent IPL stats, Kohli should not make it. Based on his recent T20I stats, he should be in contention for the World Cup, but not necessarily a certainty. But based on captain Rohit Sharma’s statements, Virat Kohli will be on that plane to Australia and more than likely, in the XI. So, why not give him our full support as fans?
These were my two cents. I have presented you with both perspectives. What do you think? Which side are you on?
Here is the Quora article that instigated this idea.
