BCCI Central Contracts 2025: Who’s In, Who’s Out?
New Faces, Big Changes: BCCI’s Central Contracts Shake-Up, With Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja retiring from T20Is, BCCI faces a tough call on A+ grade contracts.
Pramod
BCCI Central Contracts 2025: Key Changes, New Entrants & Big Exits Expected
Mumbai - The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce its annual central contracts for male cricketers soon, with major shifts expected in the top-grade categories. With stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja retiring from T20 Internationals, speculation is rife over who will retain their spots in the elite A+ grade, which guarantees an annual retainer of ₹7 crore.
A+ Grade: Will Kohli, Rohit & Jadeja Retain Their Spots?
The A+ grade, designated for players featuring across all three formats, previously included Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja. However, with the trio stepping away from T20Is and Bumrah being the only three-format player, it remains to be seen whether BCCI reshuffles this elite category.
Axar Patel Set for Promotion to Grade A
Players in the A grade receive an annual salary of ₹5 crore. With Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from international cricket, his removal from the list is expected. Reports suggest that Axar Patel, who recently served as India’s T20 vice-captain against England, could be promoted from Grade B to A, owing to his consistent performances in ODIs and T20Is, along with 14 Test appearances.
Shreyas Iyer Likely to Reclaim Contract
Having missed out on a central contract in 2024, Shreyas Iyer is expected to return to the list this year. The middle-order batter has played 11 ODIs in the current season, making him eligible for selection.
New Entrants: Four Young Stars to Get Contracts
Several emerging players are in contention for their first-ever BCCI central contract:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal could see an upgrade from Grade B due to his stellar performances.
- Akash Deep, having played seven Tests, is now eligible.
- Sarfaraz Khan, who debuted this season and featured in three Tests, is expected to be slotted into Grade C.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy, with five Tests and four T20Is, is another likely inclusion.
FACT FILE: BCCI CONTRACT
Category Annual Retainer (₹) Key Players (Expected) A+ Grade 7 crore Bumrah, Kohli, Rohit, Jadeja ,Surya Kumar Yadav (TBD) A Grade 5 crore Axar Patel, KL Rahul,Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohd. Shami, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya. B Grade 3 crore Mohd. Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh C Grade 1 crore Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar,Sarfaraz Khan .
Who Might Face the Axe?
Shardul Thakur and Ruturaj Gaikwad, part of the 2024 contract list, might miss out this year due to their limited appearances across formats.
BCCI Central Contract Eligibility Criteria
- To qualify for a BCCI central contract, a player must have played at least:
- Three Test matches OR
- Eight ODIs OR
- 10 T20Is in a calendar year.
The BCCI Selection Committee, along with the Head Coach and Secretary, will make the final decisions, with a focus on long-term team requirements.
