The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the central contracts list for the 2025–26 season, covering the period from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.
The latest list has brought a major change, with senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma demoted to Grade B following a restructuring of the contract system.
A+ Grade Scrapped by BCCI
One of the biggest decisions taken by the BCCI this season is the removal of the A+ category, which earlier represented the highest bracket of central contracts.
Previously, players in A+ received an annual retainership of ₹7 crore. With the category now discontinued, the contracts have been streamlined into Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C.
Only Three Players in Grade A
For the 2025–26 cycle, only three cricketers have been placed in Grade A, the top tier:
- Shubman Gill (Test and ODI captain)
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Ravindra Jadeja
Among them, Bumrah remains the only player actively featuring across all three formats. Although the BCCI has not officially confirmed the retainership amounts, Grade A was previously valued at ₹5 crore per year.
Why Kohli and Rohit Were Demoted
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were moved to Grade B primarily because of their reduced participation in reduced-format formats.
Both players have retired from Tests and T20 Internationals, making them ODI-only cricketers at present. As per the BCCI’s contract criteria, players competing in fewer formats are no longer eligible for the highest category.
Grade B Players List
- Virat Kohli
- Rohit Sharma
- KL Rahul
- Hardik Pandya
- Mohammed Siraj
- Rishabh Pant
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shreyas Iyer
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Washington Sundar
Earlier, Grade B players earned ₹3 crore annually, though the revised structure is yet to be confirmed.
Grade C Includes Emerging Talent
Sixteen players have been placed in Grade C, highlighting India’s emerging and one-format specialists. Notable names include:
- Axar Patel
- Rinku Singh
- Tilak Varma
- Sanju Samson
- Arshdeep Singh
- Akash Deep
- Dhruv Jurel
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Abhishek Sharma
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
Major Omissions from the List
Several experienced players have missed out on central contracts, most notably:
- Mohammed Shami
- Ishan Kishan
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Mukesh Kumar
Shami’s exclusion comes after he failed to play an international match during the previous contract cycle, indicating that he may no longer be part of the selectors’ immediate plans.
Women’s Central Contracts Update
The BCCI also announced contracts for 21 women cricketers. Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues have been placed in Grade A, with Rodrigues earning a promotion after impressive World Cup performances.
The women’s retainership fees currently stand at ₹50 lakh (Grade A), ₹30 lakh (Grade B), and ₹10 lakh (Grade C).
