India’s shock ODI series loss to New Zealand was barely two days ago, and the next big headline is already knocking at the door. The BCCI is preparing a major revamp of its central contract system, one that could dramatically change the standing of senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
BCCI to bring massive change to central contracts
According to sources quoted by ANI, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has proposed scrapping the elite Grade A+ category altogether. If the model is approved by the Apex Council, the new structure will have only three tiers – A, B and C – instead of the existing four. The move would effectively end the Rs 7 crore bracket that currently houses Kohli, Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.
Under the proposed system, Kohli and Rohit are likely to be placed in Grade B, primarily because both are now exclusive ODI players after stepping away from Test cricket. This was previously reported as well. The board is expected to discuss the financial slabs and final framework in the upcoming meeting. Aside from match fees, players in Category A earn INR 5 crore, players in Category B earn INR 3 crore and INR 1 crore for Category C players, annually.
The BCCI usually announces contracts around February or March, but this year the process has been advanced. The team’s inconsistent run in ODIs and Tests and the transition towards a younger core have forced the board to rethink how contracts reward formats and availability.
In the 2024-25 list announced last April, Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah and Jadeja were in Grade A+, while Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj were in Grade A. T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal featured in Grade B.
Current BCCI Central Contracts (2024-25)
| Grade | Player |
|---|---|
| A+ | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja |
| Grade A | Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya |
| Grade B | Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| Grade C | Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana |
The new model could also open doors for promotions. Gill, now India’s Test and ODI captain, is almost certain to be placed in the top bracket. Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Dhruv Jurel and Harshit Rana are expected to climb after becoming regular multi-format options. Two fast bowlers from Bengal, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, could find themselves excluded from the BCCI 2025-26 central contracts. Shami hasn’t featured for Team India since March, while Mukesh’s last game came in July 2024.
Cricket
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli face Grade B drop as BCCI set for central contracts overhaul
