BCCI to hike match fees for domestic umpires and referees, revamp panel into four grades from new season

MUMBAI: Match officials in Indian domestic cricket are in line for a significant pay rise, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deciding to increase the match fees of domestic umpires and match referees from the 2026-27 season.

The upcoming domestic season will resume after the Duleep Trophy, with the Ranji Trophy — the premier red-ball domestic competition — getting underway on October 11.

Confirming the development, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said: "We have decided to revise the pay structure of domestic umpires and match referees from the 2026-27 domestic season. We have also decided to restructure the panel of domestic umpires."

Four-grade panel on the cards

It is learnt that at an "appropriate forum", the BCCI also decided to introduce a gradation system for domestic umpires as part of the restructuring.

"The domestic umpires will be divided into four grades — A, B, C and D. Grades A and B will be reserved for umpires officiating in senior domestic tournaments, while the other two grades will have umpires standing in junior tournaments," a source tracking developments told this paper.

The announcement comes at a significant moment for the board, which is set to hold its Annual General Meeting at its headquarters in Mumbai on Friday.

What umpires currently earn

At present, the top 20 domestic umpires on the BCCI's panel earn a per-day fee of Rs 40,000, while the rest of the board's domestic umpires are paid Rs 30,000 per day. For T20 matches, the per-day fee stands at Rs 20,000.

In addition, umpires receive a daily allowance of Rs 1,500 for officiating in outstation matches, while local officials get between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.

The revised pay structure and the new grading system are expected to bring the remuneration of match officials more in line with the growing demands of India's packed domestic calendar.