In a first-of-its-kind move, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has become the first state governing body to award annual retainers to its men's and women's players.

Under this initiative, 22 players (14 male and eight female) will receive annual contracts aimed at providing financial support to those not centrally contracted by the BCCI or part of the targeted group. The value of the retainers - INR 12 lakh for Grade A, INR 8 lakh and INR 6 lakh for Grades B and C, respectively - is the same for both men and women.

This move comes more than seven years after Sourav Ganguly announced it as one of his biggest priorities upon taking over as BCCI president. He is out of office now.

Prominent senior men who have been awarded contracts include batters Siddhesh Lad and spin-bowling allrounder Shams Mulani - both placed in the highest bracket. Fast bowler Mohit Avasthi and wicketkeepers Akash Anand and Hardik Tamore are in Grade B, while eight others - including allrounders Sairaj Patil and Himanshu Singh - are in Grade C.

Among women, Humaira Kazi and Vrushali Bhagat are placed in Grade A, while Sanika Chalke is the lone name in Grade B. Five others, including left-arm seamer Fatima Jaffer, have been placed in Grade C. In addition to the retainers, players will also receive match fees, daily allowances and performance-based incentives.

Meanwhile, the MCA has also instituted a scholarship fund in Ajinkya Rahane's honour to recognise his contribution to Mumbai and Indian cricket following his retirement earlier this year. The MCA said in a statement that the fund has received a contribution from former president Sharad Pawar, and will support grassroots cricketers.

In recent times, the MCA has mooted several such player initiatives. In 2024-25, for example, they incentivised their senior men's team with a 100% pay raise. This instantly doubled the total amount a player earned during a domestic season.

There has been a growing chorus among former players to prioritise domestic cricket, particularly since the BCCI introduced a Test incentive scheme to its centrally contracted men's players for prioritising red-ball cricket. Under this scheme, a player's match fees could go up by 300% if he features in more than 75% of Tests in a particular season.