NAGPUR, India: National team skipper Virat Kohli has demanded a greater share of India’s growing cricket wealth for players ahead of contract talks this week, officials said.
Top players saw their annual basic deals doubled to $300,000 this year.
But the Indian squad, who are due to hold talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in New Delhi on Friday, want more after the governing body struck a huge new television deal in September.
The BCCI will get $2.5 billion from Rupert Murdoch’s Star India channel to show the Indian Premier League from 2018 to 2022.
Player contracts expired on September 30 and salaries are one of the key negotiating points.
A senior board official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that “the players want a raise” and that Kohli will lead the talks with former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and current coach Ravi Shastri.
They will meet BCCI administrator Vinod Rai in New Delhi to discuss pay and the packed cricket calendar which Kohli has also criticized.
“It’s always healthy to be transparent and that’s what BCCI is trying to be. Kohli and the players are always welcome to put their point across,” the official said.
Rai heads a committee of administrators appointed by India’s Supreme Court to run BCCI affairs and reform the world’s wealthiest cricket governing body.
Currently the national squad has three salary grades, with Kohli and other senior players at the top. “We have modified it and have started a process where we consult the players,” said Rai.
“We had two rounds of consultation and we will do another one just before the Delhi Test,” Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, added. India start the third Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Rai has backed Kohli’s criticism of the scheduling of tours and the issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting.
Kohli had hit out at BCCI, ahead of the second Test in Nagpur, for better planning of tours, especially ahead of an important series in South Africa starting in January.
India will finish their home series against Sri Lanka on December 24 with the third Twenty20 before leaving for South Africa on December 28. Kohli is to be rested for the one-day games against Sri Lanka.
They are to play a two-day warm-up natch starting December 30 before taking on the Proteas in the first Test from January 5.
Kohli leads pay rise call for India cricketers
Kohli leads pay rise call for India cricketers
Man United climb to third, Fulham sink sorry Spurs
- Red Devils have taken their tally to 19 points from a possible 21
LONDON: Benjamin Sesko stretched his hot streak with the winning goal as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to go third in the Premier League, while Tottenham failed to dispel relegation fears after defeat at Fulham.
Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League.
Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson’s corner.
But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.
The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.
Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot kick past former teammate Dean Henderson.
Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko.
The Slovenian has now scored seven times in his last eight appearances to quieten critics of his £74 million ($100 million) price tag after a slow start to his career in England.
Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.
Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.
Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.
The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton.
All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s reply.
Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.
