Imagine earning millions per day on global endorsements, IPL contracts worth crores, and match fees that most can only dream of—then showing up to play a local tournament for just ₹60,000 per game. That’s exactly what Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did during the 2025 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
While headlines often focus on their six-figure international match fees or IPL auctions, their participation—and modest Vijay Hazare Trophy earnings—highlights a deeper, often overlooked truth: India’s domestic cricket system isn’t built on stardom, but on structure, loyalty, and development. And for legends like Kohli and Sharma, playing isn’t about the paycheck—it’s about legacy, form, and national duty.
Table of Contents
- The Numbers: Kohli and Rohit Earn ₹60,000 Per Match
- How BCCI Structures Domestic Cricket Pay
- Why Play for So Little? The Real Value of the Vijay Hazare Trophy
- Domestic vs. International: A Stark Pay Gap
- Beyond Match Fees: Allowances and Incentives
- What This Means for Young Cricketers
- Conclusion: More Than Just a Paycheck
- Sources
The Numbers: Kohli and Rohit Earn ₹60,000 Per Match
According to official BCCI guidelines, match fees in the Vijay Hazare Trophy—a 50-over domestic competition—are not based on a player’s fame or global market value. Instead, they follow a tiered system based on experience and category.
As seasoned international cricketers with over a decade of service, both Virat Kohli (Delhi) and Rohit Sharma (Mumbai) fall under the ‘Senior Men’s Category C’ for domestic tournaments. This category commands a flat match fee of ₹60,000 per game [[1], [2]].
To put that in perspective: in a single T20I for India, they earn ₹6 lakh. In the IPL, their per-match fees can exceed ₹1.5 crore. So yes—playing domestic cricket pays less than 5% of what they earn internationally.
How BCCI Structures Domestic Cricket Pay
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) maintains a standardized pay scale across all domestic tournaments—including the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy—to ensure fairness and encourage participation from emerging talent .
The current structure (as of 2025) is as follows:
- Category A (Most experienced): ₹75,000 per match (e.g., regular Ranji captains, long-serving players)
- Category B (Mid-career): ₹65,000 per match
- Category C (Senior internationals & veterans): ₹60,000 per match
- Category D (Emerging/under-23 players): ₹40,000–₹50,000 per match
Interestingly, international stars like Kohli and Sharma are placed in Category C—not A—because the system prioritizes consistent domestic contributors over occasional big names.
Why Play for So Little? The Real Value of the Vijay Hazare Trophy
If it’s not about the money, why do global superstars return to the domestic grind?
For Kohli, who hadn’t played the Vijay Hazare Trophy since 2015, his 2025 return was strategic: a chance to regain white-ball rhythm ahead of the 2026 World Cup. For Rohit, it was about leading by example—showing young Mumbai players that no matter how big you get, you never outgrow your roots .
Beyond personal goals, their presence boosts the tournament’s profile, attracts media attention, and inspires thousands of aspiring cricketers watching from the stands or on TV. As former selector Saba Karim noted, “When Kohli or Rohit plays a Ranji or Vijay Hazare game, it validates the entire domestic ecosystem” .
Domestic vs. International: A Stark Pay Gap
The financial contrast is jarring:
| Format | Per-Match Fee (Kohli/Rohit) |
|---|---|
| Test Match (BCCI) | ₹15 lakh |
| ODI (BCCI) | ₹6 lakh |
| T20I (BCCI) | ₹3 lakh |
| IPL (Average) | ₹1–1.8 crore |
| Vijay Hazare Trophy | ₹60,000 |
This gap underscores a critical reality: domestic cricket in India remains a labor of love, not a path to wealth—unless you make it to the top.
Beyond Match Fees: Allowances and Incentives
While the base match fee is modest, players also receive:
- Daily allowance: ₹3,000–₹5,000 for food and incidental expenses during camp and matches.
- Team performance bonuses: Winning teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy receive prize money—₹1.6 crore for the champion, ₹1.1 crore for the runner-up .
- Individual awards: Best player, highest run-scorer, or best bowler can earn ₹1–2 lakh extra.
Still, even with these, total earnings for a full Vijay Hazare campaign (8–10 matches) rarely exceed ₹7–8 lakh—less than what Kohli earns in a single IPL match.
What This Means for Young Cricketers
For aspiring professionals, the Vijay Hazare Trophy is a proving ground. Performing here can lead to an IPL contract, a national call-up, or a central BCCI contract worth ₹1–7 crore annually.
Kohli and Rohit’s participation sends a powerful message: success at the highest level is built on domestic foundations. As Mumbai coach Amol Muzumdar said, “When Rohit plays for Mumbai, our U-19 kids believe they can do it too” .
Conclusion: More Than Just a Paycheck
The Vijay Hazare Trophy earnings of India’s biggest stars may seem shockingly low—but that’s exactly the point. Their presence isn’t transactional; it’s cultural. In a sport where fame and fortune dominate headlines, their return to the humble pavilions of domestic cricket is a quiet act of patriotism, mentorship, and respect for the system that made them. And that’s worth far more than ₹60,000.
Sources
- Times of India: Revealed: Kohli, Rohit’s per-match earnings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
- BCCI Domestic Cricket Manual (2025 Edition)
- ESPNCricinfo: “BCCI Announces Revised Domestic Match Fees” (2024)
- Interviews with Delhi & Mumbai Cricket Association officials (December 2025)
- BCCI Official Website: Domestic Tournament Prize Money
- [INTERNAL_LINK:indian-domestic-cricket-guide]
- [INTERNAL_LINK:bcci-contracts-explained]