The salary of Indian head coaches through the years

The richest cricket board in the world, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been paying the coaches a hefty salary to helm the affairs of the team. The post of the head coach of the Indian team has immense pressure and thus return with similar rewards. They are subject to constant scrutiny and do not just need to take care of the team’s on-field performance but other aspects as well which include their overall conduct.

As it is said, with power comes greater responsibility, coaching tough job and with expectations of a billion people just gets tougher. The BCCI has experimented with overseas as well as Indian coaches over the years and very recently also appointed a legend who had retired from the game less than a decade ago, there is still no fixed formula to success and they are trying to mix and match their way to success.

While John Wright took the team to the final of 2003 World Cup, Gary Kirsten’s team lifted the trophy in 2011; the highest point of Duncan Fletcher’s reign was the Champions Trophy 2013 triumph. Then Ravi Shastri took over in 2015 and the team rose in the ICC rankings eventually under Anil Kumble they reached the pinnacle in Test rankings and hold the position when Shastri has been appointed for a second term.

Here is the list of the coaches of the Indian team since 2000 and their salaries:

John Wright (2000 – 2005)

The team has had some rich experience when former New Zealand cricketer John Wright helmed the affairs. Wright had a successful partnership with the then skipper Sourav Ganguly and the duo guided Team India to overseas success which has always been an area of concern for the team.

They went on to become the finalists of the World Cup 2003. Among the most remarkable achievements was their success overseas and Test series wins over teams like Australia. Wright was paid Rs 1 crore per year for his services.

Greg Chappell (2005 – 2007)

His was the term full of controversies and the focus was on all the non-cricketing aspects. The Aussie faced a lot of criticism in his 2-year campaign. He was with the boys when India was knocked out in the group stages of ODI World Cup 2007 at the hands of Bangladesh in West Indies. Chappell earned a cheque worth Rs 1.25 crores per year from the BCCI.

Gary Kirsten (2007 – 2011)

The South African legend can be termed the most successful coach of the Indian team. He stayed in the background and enjoyed a strong report and confidence of the entire team. It was under Kirsten that Team India won the 50 overs World Cup in 2011 after a gap of 28 years. The BCCI had signed a contract with him worth Rs 2.5 crores per year.

Duncan Fletcher (2011 – 2015)

The veteran from Zimbabwe was a calm and composed individual, so much so that he was rather termed passive and more reactive than proactive by the critics. While he was able to win the Champions Trophy 2013 in England with the team his term will always be remembered for the 8-0 drubbing in Tests during the tours of England and Australia. Fletcher earned Rs 4.2 crores per year.

Anil Kumble (2016 to 2017)

The former Indian captain was very successful in his reign of just 12 months. He laid the foundation for a greater bonding between the players and set in place a lot of foundations structurally that will continue to benefit Indian cricket in the coming years. The Indian team won Test series’ against West Indies, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia along with markable success in limited-overs cricket.

Virat Kohli & Co. also rose to the No.1 ranking in Tests and currently hold the Test mace. Kumble was paid a whopping Rs 6.25 crores per year.

Ravi Shastri (2017 to 2019)

The former team director enjoys immense support and backing from the team as he is seen as someone who understands them more like an elder brother than a coach. Shastri was appointed ahead of everyone else because of his bond with the boys which is expected to translate into on-field success.

His first assignment will be the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka where the team will play all three formats of the game on the island. He was recently appointed the head coach with an estimated pay package of Rs 8 crores per year.