The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly expected to revise its central contracts this cycle at the board’s apex council meeting on December 22. According to reports, experienced Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may be demoted, and the updated contract list will be announced after the meeting.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20Is together after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. The experienced pair retired from Test cricket within a matter of days ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Notably, he played Ranji Trophy matches followed by Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He was expected to feature in the England series, and Kohli was close to reaching the milestone of 10,000 runs in Tests. However, both of them decided to end their red-ball careers and focus their attention on ODIs and IPL as they enter the final stages of their sporting journey.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at BCCI’s highest contract level in last cycle
Former Team India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in the BCCI’s highest contract level, Grade A+, earning ₹7 crore each. Kohli has remained in this category since its introduction in 2018. Grade A+ is for players who are active in all three formats.
However, they were retained in the top bracket in the last cycle despite being moved away from T20Is following the 2024 T20 World Cup win. Since BCCI gives more importance to Tests and ODIs than T20Is, both remained in the top tier.
The previous contract cycle ran from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. Along with Rohit and Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were also included in the top order.
BCCI may deduct ₹2 crore from the salaries of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
According to a report in Times of India, the upcoming BCCI meeting will focus on the men’s central contracts. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may get demoted in the contract list as they are now active only in ODI cricket.
“The main point of discussion will be the annual central contract for the men’s team. Most of the focus will be on the grading of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom have taken a break from Tests and T20Is last year and now play only ODI cricket,” the report said.
If transferred from grade A+ to grade A, his salary will reduce from ₹7 crore to ₹5 crore. The current pay structure of the board places players in four tiers: ₹7 crore for A+, ₹5 crore for A, ₹3 crore for B and ₹1 crore for C.
How BCCI decides annual central contract grades
The BCCI reviews central contract grades every year, and the process matters more than reputation. A player’s recent performance, reliability and overall impact during the previous cycle play a major role in determining whether they move up or down on the list.
Eligibility also depends on match participation. Even senior players must meet minimum appearance requirements, such as a set number of Tests, ODIs or T20Is, to remain on the contract chart. Simply playing more matches does not guarantee higher grades.
When players are not on national duty, the BCCI asks them to participate in tournaments like the Ranji Trophy. This rule has become stricter in recent years, and non-compliance with it has already resulted in players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan losing their contracts.
Also read: From Ranji to riches: Players set for IPL success
