Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) The central contract list for the 2025-26 season was recently announced, heralding a clear change in the hierarchy within Indian cricket. Senior veterans have been ranked in the updated retainer list Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli While in Grade B Shubman Gill has been elevated to the top Grade A bracket, indicating the Board’s increased focus on the next generation.
A+ category abolished due to change in contract structure by BCCI
In a major structural change, the BCCI has discontinued the A+ category for the upcoming season. Now with only three brackets – grades A, B and C – the revised system reflects a more streamlined assessment based on recent performance, workload and long-term planning.
The highest Grade A contract has been awarded to Gill, Jasprit BumrahAnd Ravindra JadejaUnderscoring his importance across all formats and his consistent impact in high-pressure situations.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma demoted to Grade B
Given their stature and long-standing legacy in Indian cricket, the appointment of Rohit and Kohli to Grade B has naturally attracted attention. However, the decision was largely expected, as both the legends are now primarily active in the ODI format after stepping away from other international commitments. While he remains an influential figure within the setup, the move reflects BCCI’s intention to align the contract grade with format availability, workload management and the team’s evolving long-term vision.
They have joined Grade B KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyerand other stars who have earned promotions after solid performances.
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Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan missed
One of the biggest shocks from the list was the exclusion of Mohammed ShamiWho was part of Grade A last season but now finds himself without a central contract. It appears that injuries and limited appearances played a role in the decision. During this time, Akshar Patel Has been pushed from grade B to grade C after an inconsistent year. Furthermore, the choice of Ishan KishanSarfaraz Khan, Rajat PatidarAnd Mukesh Kumar Have also completely missed the mark.
BCCI Central Contract List 2025-26
- grade A: Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja
- grade B: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer.
- Grade C: Akshar Patel, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dubey, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakraborty, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudarshan, Ravi Bishnoi, Ruturaj Gaikwad.
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