For years, conversations around BCCI central contracts have revolved around two names. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Their stature, their pay, and their place across formats made them automatic fits at the very top of the pay ladder. But this time, the conversation has moved on. And interestingly, it is Jasprit Bumrah who has forced the board into a rethink.
When the BCCI finalised its central contracts for the 2026-27 cycle, the headline move was the scrapping of the A+ category. Introduced back in 2018, the top bracket was meant for players who were across formats and consistently among the elite globally. But with Rohit and Kohli stepping away from T20Is and Tests, and Ravindra Jadeja also no longer part of the shortest format, Bumrah was the only obvious candidate left. Instead of retaining a one-man category, the board chose to remove it altogether.
Jasprit Bumrah at centre of uncomfortable question
By default, Bumrah now finds himself in Grade A alongside Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja. That means a potential drop in earnings from ₹7 crore to ₹5 crore, based on last year’s structure. And that is where the problem begins.
Because unlike others who have moved down due to reduced involvement across formats, Bumrah hasn’t. He remains India’s premier fast bowler, an all-format certainty, and arguably the most impactful cricketer in the current setup. The old system was built to reward exactly that profile. The new one, at least in its current shape, does not.
The BCCI seems aware. While announcing the contracts, it notably avoided mentioning the pay attached to each grade. As per TOI, players, too, are yet to receive official clarity on the exact figures. There is already talk within the board about revisiting the valuation structure. Not necessarily bringing back A+, but ensuring players like Bumrah do not end up taking a pay cut despite being the best player in the world right now.
BCCI Central Contracts 2026/27 for men
| Grade A | Grade B | Grade C |
|---|---|---|
| Jasprit Bumrah | Washington Sundar | Axar Patel |
| Shubman Gill | Rohit Sharma | Tilak Varma |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Virat Kohli | Rinku Singh |
| KL Rahul | Shivam Dube | |
| Mohammed Siraj | Sanju Samson | |
| Hardik Pandya | Arshdeep Singh | |
| Rishabh Pant | Prasidh Krishna | |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Akash Deep | |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | Dhruv Jurel | |
| Suryakumar Yadav | Harshit Rana | |
| Shreyas Iyer | Varun Chakravarthy | |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | ||
| Abhishek Sharma | ||
| Sai Sudarshan | ||
| Ravi Bishnoi | ||
| Ruturaj Gaikwad |
Axar Patel is another case in point. Axar, despite being a key figure in India’s white-ball setup and even holding a T20I vice-captaincy role, finds himself in Grade C. KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant have all slipped from Grade A to B despite strong contributions in at least two formats.
In trying to simplify the structure, the BCCI has made a bigger problem of the pay structure. They are yet to finalize it and performances of a couple of individuals are making the board think. Perhaps they shouldn’t have scrapped off the A+ category just because Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma aren’t eligible for it!
Cricket
Like RCB, Rajasthan Royals now open to sell entire franchise reportedly at INR 12,000 crore
