BCCI Plans Overhaul of Central Contract System for Cricketers

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is on the verge of implementing a significant change to its central contract system, which will see the discontinuation of the Grade A+ category. If approved, top players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to be reassigned to Grade B. The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has proposed this overhaul, which will simplify the contract structure to three categories: A, B, and C. The financial implications and further details will be discussed in the upcoming apex council meeting, with the new grading list for the 2024-25 season set to be announced in April 2025.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 20, 2026, 15:53 IST

Introduction to the New Contract Structure

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparing to implement a new central contract framework, which will eliminate the Grade A+ category. If the board endorses this updated model, renowned players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are anticipated to be categorized under Grade B, as per BCCI insiders.

Proposal from the Selection Committee

Ajit Agarkar, leading the selection committee, has put forth recommendations to modify the existing central contract system. The committee suggests abolishing the A+ category, which currently offers Rs 7 crore, and retaining only three tiers: A, B, and C. More details regarding the financial implications and the BCCI's approval of this proposal are expected to be discussed in the upcoming apex council meeting. Should the new structure gain approval, both Kohli and Sharma, who are presently exclusive ODI players, will likely be assigned to Category B.

Current Contract Structure of BCCI

The BCCI Central Contracts serve as annual retainers for Indian cricketers, classified into four grades: A+, A, B, and C. Each category comes with significant annual payments, including Rs 7 crore for A+, Rs 5 crore for A, Rs 3 crore for B, and Rs 1 crore for C, alongside match fees.

Player Gradings for the 2024-25 Season

The player grading list for the 2024-25 season, set to be revealed in April 2025, includes prominent names such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah in Grade A+. Meanwhile, players like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (Men's ODI and Test captain), Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, and Rishabh Pant are placed in Grade A.

In Grade B, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer are featured. Grade C comprises Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Harshit Rana.