Rajkot will not pay Suresh Raina the amount they bought him for

The question of ambiguity in terms of salaries to be paid to the cricketers has been under dark for too long now. Suresh Raina was the first capped player selected by Rajkot, while Ravindra Jadeja was second.

The Player Draft for two new teams had noted that the first capped player would be paid 12.5 crore, while the remaining four capped players are to get Rs 9.5 crore, Rs 7.5 crore, Rs 5.5 crore, and Rs 4 crore respectively. This, in theory, means MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina get Rs 12.5 crores each and the rest of the eight players get salaries that can range from Rs 9.5 crore to Rs 4 crore, depending on the order they have been picked.

The sources in the board say that the condition to match the previous contracts will act as a level-playing field so that neither the player nor the franchises have to lose money. In some cases it does play out that way. For example, R Ashwin’s salary was supposed to be Rs 7.5 crore in CSK and by being picked third, after Dhoni and Rahane, his previous salary matches the one stipulated in the draft.

In the overall big picture, the condition can indeed end up acting as a leveler. Faf du Plessis also should get Rs 4.75 crores that he got from CSK, and not Rs 5.5 crore that the draft promises him. Someone like Ajinkya Rahane reportedly got 8.5 crores with Rajasthan Royals. Same for players like Steve Smith and Brendon McCullum whose previous salaries were much lower than the ones proposed in the new draft system.

The previous contracts also played another role in the way the players were selected on Tuesday. It had the teams not pick a player and leave him in the auction where he could be picked for lesser amount than what he got in the previous franchise.

Perhaps, for someone like Shane Watson, apart from his injuries, his previous contract, substantial in nature, would have featured in such a decision, and hence he looks a more attractive option to be picked in the auction rather than splurging on him right now. In the auction, the two teams will have Rs 27 crore each, having used up 39 crore apiece in the draft.

Pune: 1. MS Dhoni (CSK), 2. Ajinkya Rahane (RR), 3. R Ashwin (CSK), 4. Steven Smith (RR), 5. Faf du Plessis (CSK).

Rajkot: 1. Suresh Raina (CSK), 2. Ravindra Jadeja (CSK), 3. Brendon McCullum (CSK), 4. James Faulkner (RR), 5 Dwayne Bravo (CSK).