The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparing to condense the men's central contracts list, and the A+ category is likely to be eliminated.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who were in the highest category in the previous ranking, are likely to be downgraded to the B group, given that they are now only one-format players after retiring from Tests and T20Is.
According to current categories, a men's cricketer in the A+ category earns INR 7 crore per year, while players in the A, B, and C categories earn INR 5 crore, INR 3 crore, and INR 1 crore, respectively.
A BCCI official has now admitted that Kohli and Rohit may not be retained in the top category, adding that the A+ category is being deleted to condense the list.
The retainers for the 2025-26 season have yet to be revealed, and the players will most likely be divided into three categories: A, B, and C. In the previous cycle, Rohit, Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja were all classified in the top A+ category.
The central contracts will be approved during the next Apex Council meeting. However, a BCCI official told PTI that there will be no pay decrease for someone like Bumrah, who continues to lead the pace attack in all forms despite missing a few games owing to workload management. Shubman Gill, India's Test and One-Day International captain, is also likely to be included in the top A category.
“This is being done to simplify the contract structure. There are not many players who are part of all formats. Someone like Bumrah, who remains one of the few all-format players, will continue to be placed in the highest category, and there would be no pay cut,” the BCCI official told PTI.
There may be a change to the B category's payment structure, as participants in the A category are expected to receive Rs 7 crore.
In addition to Bumrah, other players who continue to play for India in all forms include Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. In the prior cycle, Washington was in the C category, and Axar and Kuldeep were in the B category.
