Virat Kohli wants more money from BCCI even before starting his own family

Once again Team India captain Virat Kohli is in the forefront on the matter of salary hike issue. Virat has demanded a greater share of India’s growing cricket wealth ahead of players’ contract talks this week.

Top players in the squad are also set to grab the deal as their basic annual salary is all set to double to $300,000 this year.

After inking the new television deal in September, the players, who are due to hold talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in New Delhi on Friday, want more from the governing body.

The BCCI is all set to get a huge deal worth of $2.5 billion from Rupert Murdoch’s Star India channel to telecast the Indian Premier League from 2018 to 2022.

Players contracted expired on September 30 and salaries are one of the key negotiating points.

On the condition of anonymity, a senior board official told AFP, “The players want a raise” and that Kohli will lead the talks with former skipper M S Dhoni and current coach Ravi Shastri.

“It’s always healthy to be transparent and that’s what BCCI is trying to be. Kohli and the players are always welcome to put their point across,” the official said.

At present, national squad has three salary slabs, with Virat Kohli and other senior players sitting at the helm. “We have modified it and have started a process where we consult the players,” Rai said.

Rai heads a committee of administrators appointed by India’s Supreme Court to run BCCI affairs and reform the world’s wealthiest cricket governing body.

Kohli burst out at BCCI, ahead of the second Test in Nagpur, for better planning of torus, especially ahead on important series in South Africa starting in January.

Rai has also backed Kohli’s criticism of scheduling of tours and the issues are expected to be discussed at the meeting.

India will finish their home series against Sri Lanka on December 24 with the third Twenty20 before leaving for South Africa on December 28. Kohli is to be rested for the one-day games against Sri Lanka.

They are to play a two-day warm-up match starting December 30 before taking on the Proteas in the first Test from January 5.