Last Updated:
BCCI Central Contract: Speculations were rife for several days. This is the official announcement. After being in the highest category of the Indian Cricket Board for many years, two legendary cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli finally stepped down.
Speculation had been going on for several days. This is the official announcement. After being in the highest category of the Indian Cricket Board for many years, two legendary cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli finally stepped down. The two star batsmen have been given a place in Grade B due to their retirement from T20 cricket and Test cricket.
The BCCI on Monday released the annual central contract list of Team India’s senior men’s and women’s cricketers for the 2025–26 season. The contract period is fixed from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. The new list has seen several important changes, which have created a stir in Indian cricket circles.
In the biggest surprise, India’s two veteran star cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have been downgraded to ‘Grade B’ in the central contract. Earlier they were in A plus grade. The decision is believed to be a reflection of the BCCI’s evaluation policy, where recent performances and future plans of the team are weighted.
BCCI announces the Annual Player Contracts for Team India Senior Men and Senior Women for the 2025-26 season (October 1st, 2025 to September 30th, 2026).
Grade A – Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma… pic.twitter.com/9sEg0MsPSV
— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2026
A total of 30 senior men’s cricketers have been given central contracts this time and the BCCI has given ‘A Plus’ grade this season. Only three cricketers—Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, star pacer Jasprit Bumrah and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja—have been placed in the ‘A’ grade at the highest level.
Kolkata, West Bengal
This is the first time with Rohit-Virat! Earnings decreased a few million rupees! Big decisions of the board
