India’s domestic cricket officiating system is set for a financial and administrative overhaul, with the BCCI approving higher pay for umpires and match referees alongside a new four-tier structure for its umpiring panel.
The changes will be introduced during the 2026-27 domestic season, according to a report by the Times of India, adding a new hierarchy for umpires while increasing compensation for match officials. The revised system is set to come into effect as the domestic calendar resumes after the Duleep Trophy, with the Ranji Trophy beginning on October 11.
While the BCCI has confirmed that compensation will increase, the new match-fee figures have not yet been disclosed.
Saikia confirms changes for domestic officials
The new framework addresses two separate areas of domestic officiating: how umpires and match referees are paid and how umpires are categorised for assignments.
“We have decided to revise the pay structure of domestic umpires and match referees from the 2026-27 domestic season. We have also decided to restructure the panel of domestic umpires,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told the Times of India.
The decision comes ahead of the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting at its headquarters on Friday.
Four grades to separate senior and junior umpires
The restructuring will create four categories for domestic umpires, with the top two grades assigned to senior competitions and the remaining tiers covering junior cricket.
“The domestic umpires will be divided into four grades-A, B, C and D. Grades A and B will be reserved for umpires officiating in senior domestic tournaments, while the other two grades will have umpires standing in junior tournaments,” a source tracking developments told the Times of India.
The new framework therefore establishes Grades A and B for senior domestic assignments, while Grades C and D will contain officials working in junior tournaments.
The grading change applies specifically to domestic umpires. Although match referees are included in the compensation revision, no equivalent four-tier restructuring for referees has been announced.
Existing umpire fees range from INR 20,000 to INR 40,000 per day
The size of the forthcoming increase remains unknown, but the existing payment structure provides a benchmark for the BCCI’s planned revision.
At present, the BCCI’s top 20 domestic umpires earn INR 40,000 (approx. US$417) per day, while other domestic umpires receive INR 30,000 (approx. US$313). T20 fixtures carry a per-day umpiring fee of INR 20,000 (approx. US$208).
Allowances are paid separately when officials are on assignment. Umpires working outstation matches currently receive INR 1,500 (approx. US$16) per day, compared with INR 500 (approx. US$5) to INR 1,000 (approx. US$10) for local officials.
New framework awaits final pay figures
The changes will give the BCCI a newly defined hierarchy for allocating umpires across different levels of domestic cricket while simultaneously revising the financial terms available to match officials.
Exactly how much domestic umpires and match referees will receive under the new compensation structure remains to be announced. With implementation planned for the 2026-27 season, the outstanding pay figures will determine the financial scale of the BCCI’s latest changes to domestic officiating.
