MCA to introduce central contracts for Mumbai players

MUMBAI: In a landmark move, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to introduce central contracts for Mumbai’s domestic players from the 2026-27 season. The decision was taken during the MCA Apex Council meeting held at the association’s BKC facility on Wednesday.

While the BCCI has long had a central contract system for India’s top cricketers, the MCA has now become one of the first state associations in the country to extend similar security to its own domestic players. The initiative is aimed at providing financial stability to those who do not represent India or feature in the IPL.




“The MCA's central contracts will be given to the players exclusively for the domestic players, and not those who are playing for India and in the IPL. They will be given to around 15-20 Mumbai cricketers. The details of the contracts will be worked out before the next domestic season by the Mumbai senior selection committee,” a source in the MCA told TOI.

The move builds on previous efforts by the MCA to strengthen domestic cricket. On March 23, 2024, the association announced a 100% pay hike for Ranji Trophy players to promote red-ball cricket. Under that decision, the MCA agreed to pay its Ranji players a match fee equal to what the BCCI pays, in addition to the BCCI’s existing payments, starting from the 2024-25 domestic season.

Interestingly, the idea of central contracts is not entirely new at the MCA. On June 29, 2022, then MCA president Vijay Patil had announced plans to introduce central contracts for the 2022-23 season following an Apex Council meeting. However, the proposal remained pending for nearly three years before finally being cleared now.

Inter-College tournament to be named after Vengsarkar

In another key development, the MCA has decided to introduce an Inter-College cricket tournament named after former India and Mumbai captain Dilip Vengsarkar.

“Our vision is to create a robust pathway from college cricket to the highest levels of the game. Naming the Inter-College Tournament after Dilip Vengsarkar reflects the values of excellence and leadership that we want young cricketers to aspire to. Central contracts are a step towards empowering players with stability and confidence, while the T20 scouting tournament will ensure that Mumbai continues to identify and nurture talent suited for the future of the game,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik said.

“Celebrating excellence, leadership and the enduring legacy of Mumbai cricket. The tournament will serve as a vital platform for nurturing young talent at the collegiate level,” the MCA added.

Vengsarkar, a former India chief selector, had earlier criticised Mumbai University for the “poor handling of the inter-collegiate cricket tournament” and had urged the MCA to take over the event.

The MCA also announced plans to launch a “dedicated T20 Scouting Tournament”.

“In keeping with the evolving demands of modern cricket, a T20 tournament will be conducted as a dedicated scouting platform for the T20 Mumbai League, creating a clear and merit-based pathway for young players to progress to elite competitive levels,” the MCA stated.