BCCI likely to drop A+ category in new central contracts; question mark over Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma grades

MUMBAI: A major overhaul in the BCCI’s Annual Central Contracts system, changes that could reshape the hierarchy of Indian cricket’s elite players, could come into play for the 2025-26 season.

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Sources tracking developments revealed that the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee has proposed doing away with the Grade A+ category which was introduced in 2018 altogether, a move that would directly impact senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.




As per the existing policy, a cricketer in A+ category is paid Rs 7 crore annually, Rs 5 crore in A, Rs 3 crore in B and Rs 1 crore in C.

It is likely that in the retainers for 2025-26, players will only be bracketed in A, B and C categories, instead of the existing four-tier system. Sources privy to the discussions indicate that the A+ category is likely to be scrapped if the model receives approval from the BCCI’s apex council.


In the previous cycle, only four players — Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja — were included in the A+ category. However, there is unlikely to be any pay cut for Bumrah and other A contract holders.

Since Rohit and Kohli do not play in all three formats there is speculation that they could be placed in B category, which currently carries a retainer of Rs 3 crore. It’s clear, however, that Bumrah and Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will be in the highest paid ‘A’ category.

“This suggestion will be discussed in the BCCI’s next apex council meeting,” a source told TOI. The apex council is expected to deliberate on the proposal in its next meeting, where clarity will also emerge on whether the monetary slabs will be revised too.

The existing 2024-25 central contracts list also featured Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant in Grade A, while Grade B included Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. Spinners Kuldeep and Washington Sundar, who has a Grade C contract currently, play in all the formats.

Grade C generally includes a large pool of emerging players.

Central contracts are annual retainers paid in addition to match fees and serve as both financial security and an indicator of a player’s standing in the national setup.


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