Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli secure A grade BCCI contracts

In the latest developments from Indian cricket, batting icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to maintain their A grade status in the BCCI's annual player contracts, securing each a retainer worth INR 7 crore.

Despite retiring from the T20 format, both Sharma and Kohli will remain in the prestigious A category, as per sources from IANS.

Shreyas Iyer, who emerged as India’s top run-scorer in the recent Champions Trophy, is on track to make a comeback to the central contract list.

However, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who was omitted along with Iyer last year, will continue to wait for his reentry into the contracts.

All-rounder Axar Patel, instrumental in India's success during the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, is also a strong candidate for a contract upgrade.

Similarly, promising talents like Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Abhishek Sharma, who have delivered impressive performances across formats for India over the past year, are in contention for their first central contracts.

In related news, the BCCI recently unveiled the annual retainers for the India senior women's team for the 2024/25 cycle.

Furthermore, a critical meeting between Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the senior men's selection committee, and Devajit Saikia, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which was slated to take place in Guwahati, was postponed.

Key agenda items included finalizing annual retainers for the men’s team and proposing the initial lineup for India ‘A’ and the senior team ahead of the England tour.

Following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League, India will embark on a five-match Test series against England, commencing at Headingley on June 20.

This series will be India's first since their 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with their last Test series victory in England dating back to 2007.