Cricket in India is a high-pressure game, where leadership on the field often draws the spotlight — and sometimes, the blame. Naturally, many fans wonder whether captains are rewarded with extra pay by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, the truth is quite different from popular belief.

No Extra Pay for the Captain’s Role

Despite the leadership responsibilities and scrutiny that come with captaincy, BCCI does not offer any additional monetary benefits to the captain. Every player’s pay is determined solely by their central contract and match participation, not their position in the team hierarchy.

In fact, as seen after India’s recent 28-run loss in the first ODI, both Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer—two prominent names in Indian cricket—draw the same base pay under their BCCI contracts, even though Gill occasionally leads and Iyer contributes as a senior player.

Shubman Gill: A Young Millionaire in the Making

The rising star Shubman Gill earns handsomely from multiple sources.

• BCCI Contract (Grade B): ₹3 crore per year

• Match Fees: ₹15 lakh per Test, ₹6 lakh per ODI, ₹3 lakh per T20I

• IPL 2025 Salary (Gujarat Titans): ₹16.5 crore

• Brand Endorsements: ₹6.8 crore annually

Altogether, Gill’s yearly income adds up to nearly ₹25 crore, a mix of cricketing rewards and commercial success. Yet, despite his growing leadership role, BCCI pays him no extra for captaincy—a reminder that prestige does not translate into higher board pay.

Shreyas Iyer: The IPL Power Earner

Shreyas Iyer, too, enjoys impressive earnings from franchise cricket.

• IPL 2025 Deal (Punjab Kings): ₹26.75 crore — one of the biggest in IPL history.

• BCCI Contract (Grade B): ₹3 crore

• Match Fees: Identical to Gill’s per-match rates.

While Iyer’s IPL income surpasses Gill’s, his BCCI earnings remain the same, reaffirming that central contracts are based on grading, not leadership or popularity. The real rivalry between them lies off the field—in endorsements and IPL deals—not in BCCI’s pay structure.

Inside BCCI’s Player Grading System

The BCCI grades players according to form, consistency, and performance.

• Grade A+: ₹7 crore (e.g., Rohit Sharma)

• Grade A: ₹5 crore

• Grade B: ₹3 crore

• Grade C: ₹1 crore

This system ensures merit-based rewards without favoritism. A player’s title—whether captain, vice-captain, or debutant—does not alter their pay grade. As BCCI insiders often say, “It’s merit, not mantle, that matters.”

The Real Reward Lies in Performance

As India tours Down Under, discussions around salaries and leadership resurface. Yet, the underlying truth remains: the bat holds more power than the armband. In Indian cricket, respect and recognition come from performance, not position.

So, while captains shoulder the nation’s hopes, their bank balance from the board remains unchanged — a reflection of BCCI’s unwavering focus on fairness, form, and performance over fame.

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India Announces Senior Men’s Squad for Australia Tour

The All India Senior Men’s Selection Committee, led by veteran cricketer Garhkar, has announced the Indian squad for the upcoming tour of Australia. The Indian team will travel after completing the two-match Test series against the West Indies at home. During the tour, India will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and five T20 matches. BCCI has named Shubman Gill as captain for the ODI series.

ODI Squad Highlights

The first ODI will be played on October 19, followed by the second and third ODIs on October 23 and 25. Shreyas Iyer, who had been in and out of the squad for several days, has been appointed vice-captain. Hardik Pandya, recovering from an injury sustained before the Asia Cup 2025 final, will not feature in the ODIs. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, while Mohammed Siraj will handle major responsibilities in the bowling department.

Other notable selections include Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Akshar Patel. The ODI squad for India is:

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), Akshar Patel, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

T20 Squad Details

For the T20 leg of the tour, Suryakumar Yadav has been named captain, with Shubman Gill as vice-captain. The squad also features Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Akshar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Singh (WK), Rinku Singh, and Washington Sundar.

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When the Odisha government is spending hundreds of crores of rupees just to transport the Chief Minister’s representative to various sites in the state for the inauguration and review of Projects, eyebrows are being raised as to why there is complete silence on the inauguration of Multipurpose halls (MPHs).

Knowledgeable sources believe that 89 MPHs were announced about a year ago, and were supposed to be completed by now. But no one is even talking about their inauguration and opening them for public use.

Interestingly, the MPH projects were said to be the brainchild of the 5T secretary and the engineer in chief (EIC) of the works department was personally looking after the projects because of their importance. It is said that the buildings were to be completed by January 2023 but even after so many months, they are not being offered for the use of the public because the quality of construction is alleged to be poor and the buildings. The buildings are allegedly crumbling and an investment of Rs 693 crore will likely go down the drain. That is said to be the reason why the inauguration is getting delayed.

People in the know allege that the responsibility of the weak structures rests right on the table of the EIC because he is directly involved in the specification of the non-scheduled items and finalizing the suppliers of the items. The delay is allegedly because efforts are on to pass off the low-quality items as of requisite quality and corner benefits from the beneficiaries of this dubious move. No one seems to be worried about the chances of the risk to youth of getting injured when they use those substandard equipment and facilities. It appears to be a scam of gigantic proportions and it is also rumoured that the state vigilance department has already started looking into it.

The allegations, if true, are not surprising because they are supported by another similar dubious act of the same EIC. Recently tenders for more than 1,000 road projects worth more than Rs 10,000 crores have been floated for roads all over the state. Sources under conditions of anonymity have pointed out that such projects are always carried out after a proper survey is done and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is prepared based on those surveys, which are approved before the floating of tenders.

But in the present cases, DPRs have not been prepared for many projects and allegations that even the survey has not been done. It is alleged that the move is aimed at supporting certain chosen contractors and extracting benefits prior to the election in 2024. Fingers are being pointed out at the EIC for this as he is also holding the charge of chief engineer, and roads and is responsible for the tenders.

In a shocking revelation, the Engineer-in-Chief is currently under scrutiny for alleged financial mismanagement and hampering the progress of critical government initiatives. The accusations suggest that the mismanagement of funds has resulted in a substantial burden on the state exchequer, affecting the timely completion of key projects.

Interestingly, the posts of four chief engineers are still vacant in the department in spite of the availability of officers and there is no move to fill them up in an election year when the focus is on completion of the projects. These points to the chances of the EIC taking such steps under the instructions of certain higher-ups for reasons best known to them but not very difficult to guess. Details of the proximity of the

EIC to the corridors of power are also floating around. It may be recollected that these kinds of steps had been taken by people close to power earlier too and the EIC of that time had been rewarded with political blessings for his acts of helping the political masters.

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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2023

19 Oct, Thursday /India vs Bangladesh at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Match starts at 19 Oct, 08:30 GMT

2. 2036 OLYMPICS IN INDIA: Preparation in Gujarat continues, work in full swing in 600 acres of land. While PM Narendra Modi did not mention a candidate city when he announced India’s intentions of hosting the Olympic Games in 2036.
3. Rohit is currently ranked sixth after the latest ODI rankings were updated. Notably, this marks the first time that Rohit has overtaken star batter Virat Kohli in the 50-over format, who is currently in the ninth position.
4. Sprint queen Dutee Chand (27) has voiced disappointment at the Supreme Court’s refusal to grant same-sex marriages legal recognition. In 2019, Dutee came out as lesbian, the first Indian athlete to disclose a same-sex relationship.She planned to marry her partner Monalisa. She have been living with Monalisa for five years.Dutee’s family, opposed to her relationship, welcomed the SC verdict.

5. India Sports Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has approved a list of 303 sportspersons across 17 sporting disciplines for participation in the upcoming Asian Para Games in China. The ministry also cleared a total of 143 coaches, escorts, officials and support staff to be part of the Asian Para Games contingent.The athletes’ list comprises of 191 male and 112 female athletes, with the largest contingent of 123 athletes being cleared for Athletics events

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  Former president of Utkal University Students Union and OPCC general secretary Manoj Kumar Biswal has alleged rampant corrupt practices adopted in running the Utkal University by the Vice Chancellor, leading degrading of standards of the varsity, including NAAC grade from A+ in 2016 to A at present.   In a letter to State Governor and Chancellor of universities Dr Ganeshi Lal, Biswal squarely blamed the VC for poor academic leadership ,nepotism, poor governance and corruption which have led to degradation of the premier university of the State. Biswal alleged corrupt practices in allocating civil works and making unnecessary expenditures like Rs 2.87 crore for developing lawns priorate NAAC visit in April, 2023, Rs 1 crore for redesigning the Syndicate Hall which was constructed in 2018, Rs 40 lakh for dining hall at Vice Chancellor’s residence, repair of two boys hostels at a unbelievably high cost of more than Rs 10 crore and Rs 1 crore each for other hostels repairing. He said the expenditures were too high and work done was of very poor quality. Similarly, Biswal alleged that the VC was running the show by a coterie ignoring democratic participation of all stakeholders such as teachers ,students, employees and alumni etc. and unfair practices in promotions of teachers and PhD admissions. Biswal cited a few instances wherein the rules were bent for admitting a few candidates in PhD programmed. He said that the university staff members are not happy with the incumbent VC and sought an inquiry into all malpractices and action against the accused.

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Bhubaneswar, 1 September 2023: In a historic moment, Kishore Jena, the prodigious javelin thrower from Odisha, returned to his homeland to a heartwarming reception today.

A group of officials including the Sports Director, Siddhartha Das, Jt Secretary Ranjit Parida, Head Coach of Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC, Martin Owens, and representatives of the Sports & Youth Services Department, gathered at the Biju Patnaik International Airport to extend a warm welcome to an outstanding athlete. This remarkable athlete has brought immense pride to his state and country.

Kishore Jena’s remarkable talent and unwavering dedication have etched his name in history as the first athlete from Odisha to represent India in the finals of the prestigious World Athletics Championship, which recently concluded in Budapest. He secured a place in the top five in the finals, leaving a lasting impression on the athletic community in India.

His journey from the Sports Hostel in Bhubaneswar to the world stage has been nothing short of inspiring, and his achievements resonate with the dreams and aspirations of countless young athletes nationwide.

“The State Government has pledged unwavering support to Kishore’s continued journey towards excellence in athletics.”

Kishore Jena’s remarkable achievements are a testament to the immense talent that exists in Odisha. His success story serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for aspiring athletes, proving that with relentless dedication and hard work, they too can reach the pinnacles of success on the global stage, shared Sports Director, Das.

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Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a reward of Rs. 25 lakh for Odisha’s javelin star Kishore Jena who became the first from the state to represent India at the Finals of the World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

Appreciating his inspirational journey from the sports hostel in Bhubaneswar to World Athletics Championship in Budapest

Kishore showcased remarkable prowess in javelin throwing achieving a commendable fifth-place finish. He achieved a new personal best with a throw covering a distance of 84.77 meters, highlighting his exceptional performance on the global stage.

Kishore’s participation is a remarkable feat for the athlete and a historic achievement in the sports history of Odisha.

Commending the indomitable spirit of Kishore Jena, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Kishore Jena’s remarkable journey and exceptional performance at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest have not only brought glory to our state and nation but also inspire many athletes for years to come”.

The World Athletics Championship is a prestigious global event that combines the finest athletes worldwide, competing in various track and field disciplines. Kishore Jena’s participation in this championship not only represents a personal achievement but also showcases the sportsmanship and talent that Odisha has to offer to the world.

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On the occasion of International Chess Day, the Sports Minister of Odisha,  Tusharkanti Behera inaugurated the Professional Chess Training Academy ‘PRO- CHESS -TA’ in Bhubaneswar.

• Felicitated IM & WGM  Padmini Rout with a cash award of Sixty Thousand Rupees for winning the 49th National Women’s Chess Championship.
• An academy dedicated to the chess enthusiasts of Odisha.

Bhubaneswar, 20 July 2023: On the occasion of International Chess Day, Sports Minister, Odisha,  Tusharkanti Behera inaugurated the Professional Chess Training Academy ‘PRO- CHESS -TA’ in Bhubaneswar, today and dedicated it to the chess enthusiasts of the state.  It is a notable initiative as it is the first chess academy that has been set up in the state to promote Chess and the Sports and Youth Services Department, All India Chess Federation and Odisha Chess Association are working very closely towards it.

On this occasion, the Sports Minister felicitated Padmini Rout, the reigning national women’s chess champion, with a cash award of Sixty Thousand Rupees for her exceptional performance in the 49th National Women’s Chess Championship. Padmini’s remarkable talent and dedication to the game have earned her the prestigious titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster, making her a beacon of inspiration for aspiring chess players across the nation and ‘PRO- CHESS -TA’ aims to nurture many more chess players like her.

PRO- CHESS –TA

The Professional Chess Training Academy will serve as a milestone facility for Odisha’s commitment to providing budding chess players an environment to learn, grow and excel. The institution will be led by Fide Trainer and International Master Satyapragyan, who will mentor the students in developing their talent to a completely new level.

Speaking at the inauguration about the government’s vision for sports development, Sports Minister  Tusharkanti Behera reiterated the commitment to establishing more such sports academies across various disciplines. He said, “I am delighted to inaugurate the Professional Training Chess Academy. We have conducted several programs earlier to promote Chess and the response from children and parents were very encouraging. This along with the performance of our elite players at the national and international level has boosted us to set up this academy.”

We are guided by our visionary Chief Minister Shri Navin Patnaik, and through such initiatives we are trying to create a platform for Odisha’s chess players to shine on the national and international stages, bringing pride to our state and country. I extend my gratitude to everybody who is working towards making this vision a reality.”

Padmini Rout shared, “This is a great development for chess in Odisha. Those who are passionate about chess in the region will have a support system to guide them while they strive to pursue excellence in the game. I am grateful to the Government of Odisha for felicitating me today and forever supporting me in my journey and also giving aspiring Chess players this opportunity.”

Joint Secretary of the All India Chess Federation, Ranjan Mohanty, expressed his appreciation to the Government of Odisha for their remarkable support and establishment of the Professional Chess Training Academy on this International Chess Day.  He shared, “This Chess Academy, located in the heart of the city, has already garnered immense interest from students, parents, and chess enthusiasts across the state. The launch of this academy signals a bright future for chess in Odisha, and it promises to nurture and empower young minds to make their mark in the national and global chess arena, representing Odisha and India.”

International Master Satyapragyan Swayangsu shared, “I am grateful to the Government of Odisha’s vision to make Odisha the biggest chess literate city in this country. In my entire professional career never have I come across a state of art academy having all the latest technology as well as a dedicated library for students. I want to thank the government of Odisha for confiding in me such a massive and important responsibility for supporting Odisha talent and making them masters of chess.”

The inauguration ceremony was also graced by Sports Director Siddhartha Das, Joint Secretary Sports & Youth Services Department, Shubhranshu Mishra, Joint Secretary All India Chess Federation Ranjan Mohanty, Honorary Secretary All Odisha Chess Association Debabrata Dhatta & Fide Trainer and International Master Satyapragyan Swayangsu. Several reputed Chess players including Saina Salonika were part of this.

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