The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has made a significant decision to introduce central contracts for its senior domestic players, a move aimed at bolstering the financial stability and well-being of local talent not playing for the national team or in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This landmark initiative was approved during the MCA's Apex Council meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The contracts are specifically designed for approximately 15-20 Mumbai cricketers who rely primarily on domestic cricket, providing them with structured support and confidence. This makes the MCA one of the pioneering state associations in India to extend such a comprehensive contract system to its domestic players, akin to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) central contracts for international cricketers. The central contracts are expected to be rolled out starting from the 2026-27 domestic season, with further details on grading and amounts to be finalized by the Mumbai senior selection committee. In addition to the central contracts, the MCA also announced other forward-looking initiatives to strengthen the cricketing ecosystem in Mumbai. These include the launch of an inter-college cricket tournament, which will be named after former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, to nurture collegiate-level talent. Furthermore, a dedicated T20 scouting tournament will be conducted to identify emerging players and create a merit-based pathway for them to progress to elite competitive levels, including the T20 Mumbai League. MCA President Ajinkya Naik emphasized that these decisions collectively aim to build a robust, inclusive, and sustainable cricketing pathway from college cricket to the highest echelons of the game in Mumbai.