NEW DELHI: The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma added star power to India's premier domestic one-day tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Both stalwarts entertained fans with memorable performances in the first two matches. The two icons have now headed home after the BCCI mandated that all Indian players must feature in at least two domestic games.
Kohli continued his sublime form, scoring 131 and 77 against Andhra and Gujarat respectively, and became the fastest player to reach 16,000 runs in List A cricket, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Rohit, meanwhile, blasted his way to 155 off 94 balls against Sikkim but fell for a duck against Uttarakhand.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma head home after productive Vijay Hazare Trophy appearances
From millions to thousands
Domestic cricket match fees don't come close to the lucrative earnings of international cricket or the IPL. For the 2025–26 season, payments are structured on a tiered system that considers the number of List A appearances a player has made. In this setup, experience - not celebrity status - determines the payout, placing seasoned stars like Kohli and Rohit in the top earning bracket.
In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, match fees are determined by experience rather than star power. Players with over 40 List A appearances are categorized as seniors, earning Rs 60,000 per game if in the playing XI and Rs 30,000 as reserves.
Those with 21 to 40 matches are mid-level players, receiving Rs 50,000 per match in the XI and Rs 25,000 on the bench. The junior bracket, with up to 20 List A games, earns Rs 40,000 per match when playing and Rs 20,000 when on the sidelines.
For the 2025–26 season, even stars like Virat Kohli (Delhi) and Rohit Sharma (Mumbai) are paid according to this system. Having surpassed 40 List A games, both fall into the senior category, earning Rs 60,000 per match - just like any other experienced domestic player. This is a stark contrast to their international match fees, where the BCCI pays them Rs 6 lakh per ODI.
