BCCI AGM approves pay restructure and four-tier grading for domestic umpires and match referees
Mumbai — At the BCCI Annual General Meeting on Friday, September 18, 2026, the board approved a proposal to restructure fees for domestic umpires and match referees and to implement a stricter performance-based grading system for umpires.
The move follows the last major pay revision in 2017-18 when the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators was overseeing the board. Since that restructuring, umpires in the top two grades have been paid ₹40,000 per match day and those in the lower grades ₹30,000 per day; match referees were paid ₹30,000 per match day after 2017-18 before their fee was later raised to ₹40,000. The BCCI did not publish the new payment slabs at the AGM, but it is understood that match fees for umpires will be increased by at least 30%. The board has not yet finalised a comparable restructuring for scorers.
“The umpires will now be graded in four categories. Their fees per day have been enhanced substantially. So far as match referees are concerned, we have also revised their match fees structure,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said after the AGM.
Saikia said that appointments would be merit-based and governed by assessments. “All the umpires’ postings will be done as per merits by the assessment team,” Saikia said.
He outlined an end-of-season movement mechanism for officials, specifying a predefined number for promotion and relegation. “And at the end of every season, there will be a relegation and promotion for 10 umpires from each grade. This will make them very alert throughout the season and that will ultimately help the game of cricket.”
Umpiring standards in domestic competitions have repeatedly been discussed, with some high-profile match appointments raising questions about objectivity; the BCCI says it already operates an internal assessment mechanism for officials.
“Some players’ future depends on the decision of the umpires, so they have to be very competent and very alert,” he said.
“As far as the scorers are concerned, we will need some more time to assess their situations,” Saikia said, indicating the board will delay any decisions on scorers’ pay until further review.
