The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering raising Test match payments as well as offering other incentives to entice players to stick with the traditional format. This idea arises from Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's recent decision to skip domestic cricket in favour of practicing for the upcoming 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Despite repeated cautions from BCCI secretary Jay Shah, both players maintained a preference for white-ball cricket over red-ball cricket. While there has been debate about eliminating such individuals from the central contract list, it is unclear if such a dramatic action would be executed.

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How much do players earn now in India? 

Currently, players get ₹15 lakh in match fees for Tests, ₹6 lakh for ODIs, and ₹3 lakh for T20Is. However, the Indian Express reports that there are signs of a prospective revamp in the wage system for Test cricket players. Furthermore, players who compete in every Test series for their country throughout a calendar year may be eligible for an additional bonus on top of their core contract earnings. As quoted by Sportskeeda, a source told BCCI and said: 

“For example, if someone plays all Test series in a calendar year, he should be rewarded additionally, apart from the annual retainer contract. This is to ensure that players turn out for more red-ball cricket. This would be an additional perk for playing Test cricket," 

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Rohit Sharma opines on his view on Test cricket selection 

Rohit Sharma also addressed the topic in the post-match news conference following India's fourth Test victory over England in Ranchi. He said: 

"This (Test cricket) is the toughest format. And if you want success and want to excel in this tough format then you need that hunger. It is very important. We will give opportunity only to players who have that hunger. You come to know the players who don't have that hunger or players who don't want to stay here,”

Even though India has shown that it can succeed without some important players, the team's organisational structure still has to be addressed in front of the impending change, which is anticipated to have an impact on performances abroad.

The BCCI aims to raise Test match payments following the completion of the IPL 2024. The planned match price increase, coupled with the incentive structure, is expected to be implemented by the BCCI following the IPL 2024 season. As of present, Team India is just halfway through their obligations to the 2023-25 World Test Championship.

Following the T20 World Cup which starts in June, Rohit Sharma and co. will face Sri Lanka and New Zealand at home before embarking on a demanding five-game away series against Australia. These future games will surely test the team's durability and adaptation.