MUMBAI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to award annual contracts for its domestic players – those who have not played for India and are not playing in the IPL – effective from the 2026-2027 season onwards. Like in the case of the BCCI, the MCA has decided to introduce a gradation system according to which remuneration for the players will be decided. As per a proposal passed in the MCA’s Apex Council meeting recently, the players will be divided into three Grades- A, B, and C, for this purpose.The MCA has thus become the first association in India to introduce a contract system for its players.Grade A players will be paid between 12 lakh to 20 lakh per annum, Grade B cricketers will be paid between 8 lakh to 12 lakh, while Grade C players will get 8 lakh rupees. The move will provide those Mumbai players who don’t play for India and in the IPL, a much-needed financial security. “This initiative marks a new era for Mumbai cricket. We are proud to be the first association to implement a player contract system—a progressive step that will provide greater security, structure, and growth opportunities for our Mumbai players,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik told TOI.However, the association has also kept an eligibility criteria for players who will be awarded a contract. As per the five requirements, 1) The player should be registered with MCA, 2) The player must meet the minimum fitness benchmarks set by the MCA, 3) the player should not have represented the Indian team in any format in the past two seasons, 4) The player should not be selected by an IPL team in the past two IPL seasons, and 5) the player must be recommended by the selection committee.On March 23, 2024, the MCA announced a 100% pay raise for its Ranji Trophy players in order to incentivise red-ball cricket. The MCA had said that it will pay the Ranji Trophy players the same match fee paid by the BCCI, in addition to what the BCCI already pays the players, starting with the 2024-25 domestic season. On June 14, the association announced that it had decided to introduce central contracts for the players to provide structured support and financial security to emerging talent. In 2022, the association had decided to introduce a graded contract system for players and send it to the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) to work out the operational details and modalities for the scheme in order to implement. However, the scheme has finally rolled out now.