In the glitzy and glamorous T20 extravaganza we call the Indian Premier League, it’s not just the big-name players who pocket the big bucks. It seems umpires in IPL 2025 are earning healthy match fees too.
According to a report in India Today, on-field officials rake in around ₹3 lakh every time they take the field, while the fourth umpires, who aren’t left out, earn around ₹2 lakh per game.
This is a healthy amount compared to the millionaire players who hit the big sixes and scalp the important wickets.
Player match fees
For context, every player who plays an IPL match, including the Impact Player, picks up a cool ₹7.5 lakh per match on top of their auction-based salaries.
Officiating in the world’s richest cricket league is a rewarding experience indeed and why not. With every close call under the ultra-edge microscope and millions of eyeballs watching, these pay packets reflect the pressure of being an IPL umpire.
With social media being the most active during the IPL, it is difficult to escape scrutiny.
In a recent game, between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, on-field umpire Vinod Seshan was involved in a bizarre incident.
SRH batsman Ishan Kishan attempted to play a seemingly innocuous delivery from Deepak Chahar. The left handed batsman missed the ball, which went down the leg side, and Chahar and his MI teammates were ready to bowl the delivery again.
However, in a surprising twist, Kishan started to walk back to the dressing room as if he edged the ball; replays suggest the bat made no contact with the ball.
Seeing Kishan walk, Chahar, bemused, made a weak attempt at appealing for a caught behind and umpire Seshan, equally bemused, reluctantly raised his fingers and dismissed Kishan.
The incident caused a storm online with many fans accusing all parties involved in the dismissal of match fixing. However, there has been no such evidence of the same as of today.
Domestic umpire salary
Away from the IPL’s bright spotlights, domestic umpires are paid fairly well too.
The domestic umpires, who clock in long hours across four-day first-class games in the Ranji Trophy, earn between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000 each day, summing up to around ₹1.6 lakh for a full match.
It’s a demanding grind: sweat, focus, split-second decisions and zero room for error, yet these unsung guardians of fair play often fly under the radar.
Between the roar of packed stadiums and the hush of domestic grounds, umpires form the silent backbone of Indian cricket. Their paychecks—from IPL’s ₹3 lakh per match to ₹40,000 in domestic cricket—are a welcome nod to their vital role.
Next time you marvel at a flawless DRS call or a bold lbw verdict, spare a thought for the officials whose livelihoods depend on getting it right.
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