Though Ranji Trophy cricketers today earn around Rs 35,000 a day for figuring in first-class cricket, this was not the case three to four decades ago. However, despite getting just R10 per day the domestic toilers still enjoyed playing the game and performing.

Former Railways wicketkeeper-batsman Ibrahim Ansari, who played 55 first-class games from 1972 to 1983, scoring 2506 runs and claiming 102 victims behind the stumps, was felicitated along with ex-Mumbai wicketkeeper Mehli Irani, 89, by former India skipper Nari Contractor and ex-India stumper Farokh Engineer. Ansari and Irani received a cheque of Rs 1 lakh each at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday during a function called Aamchi Mumbai Aamcha cricket, organised by SKP Athletics Club.