BCCI may scrap top-tier A+ contracts; Rohit, Kohli likely to be shifted to Grade B

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to revise its central contract system, with the top-tier Grade A+ category likely to be discontinued.

If the new model is approved, senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to be placed in Grade B, according to sources within the BCCI.

The proposal comes from the selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, which has recommended scrapping the A+ category, currently valued at ₹7 crore per year, and retaining only three categories: A, B, and C. Further details on the monetary adjustments and final approval by the board are expected at the next BCCI apex council meeting.

Under the existing system, BCCI central contracts are annual retainers awarded to Indian cricketers, classified into A+, A, B, and C grades, in addition to match fees. The 2024-25 contracts, announced in April 2025, placed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah in A+. Players including Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, and Rishabh Pant were in Grade A, while T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer were in Grade B.

Grade C contracts currently cover players such as 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.

The selection committee’s recommendations aim to simplify the contract structure, though final approval and implementation are pending.