The Mumbai Cricket Association has introduced annual contracts for 22 non-BCCI contracted players and launched the Ajinkya Rahane Scholarship Fund for grassroots development.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Apex Council approved annual contracts for 22 cricketers—comprising 14 male and eight female players—during a meeting on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The player contract system is aimed at delivering financial support and security to Mumbai players who are not centrally contracted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or part of its targeted-player list.
Under the structure, players are divided into three tiers: Grade A contracts provide ₹12 lakh annually, Grade B contracts offer ₹8 lakh, and Grade C contracts provide ₹6 lakh. Siddhesh Lad and Shams Mulani are the two male cricketers awarded Grade A contracts, while Humairaa Kaazi and Vrushali Bhagat earned Grade A contracts in the women's category.
For Grade B, the men's list includes Mohit Avasthi, Aakash Anand, and Hardik Tamore, with Sanika Chalke named as the Grade B female player. Eight male cricketers, including Suved Parkar, Sairaj Patil, Himanshu Singh, Jay Jain, and Sumeir, make up the men's Grade C list. The five women's Grade C contract holders are Prakashika Naik, Zeal D’Mello, Fatima Jaffer, Sadhvi Sanjay, and Kashish Nirmal.
Alongside the contracts, the Apex Council constituted the Ajinkya Rahane Scholarship Fund to recognize the former India captain following his retirement from all formats earlier this month. The fund received a contribution from former MCA president Sharad Pawar and will be dedicated to aiding grassroots players and developing maidan cricket.
Highlighting the initiative, MCA president Ajinkya Naik described Rahane’s achievements as "an inspiration for young cricketers" and added that the fund will help generate greater grassroots opportunities. The MCA also intends to honour Rahane for his service to Mumbai and Indian cricket.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.