Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma recently called time on their Test career in the span of five days, leaving a big void in the Indian team ahead of the all-important England tour that marks the beginning of the new WTC cycle.

Having retired from T20Is last year, both the batting stalwarts will now focus solely on the One-Day International format. The latest development raises a question whether the duo will now lose BCCI's Grade A+ contract.

On Wednesday (May 14), BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia addressed this query, confirming that star batters will remain in the Grade A category despite retiring from the T20Is and Tests.

Earlier in April, the BCCI announced annual player retainership 2024-25 where Kohi and Rohit were put in the Grade A category along with right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

"Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's grade A+ contract will continue despite their retirement from the T20Is and Tests. They are still part of the Indian cricket team, and they will get all the facilities of Grade A+," Devajit Saikia told news agency ANI.

On Monday (May 12), Kohli took to social media to confirm his decision to quit Test cricket. In an Instagram post, he wrote: "As I step away from this format, it's not easy – but it feels right. I've given it everything I had, and it's given me back so much more than I could've hoped for... I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off".

Virat Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, played an instrumental role in India's red-ball resurgence over the past decade with his aggressive captaincy, prolific batting and unmatched intensity on the field.

Kohli led his country in 68 Test matches and suffered defeat in only 17 of them. With 40 wins and 11 draws, he boasts a remarkable win percentage of 58.82, making him the most successful Test captain in India's history.

Kohli ended his Test career with 9230 runs from 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with the highest score of 254.

Talking about Rohit Sharma, his Test journey began with an impressive 177 against West Indies at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2013. Between 2013-18, he featured in 27 Tests, scoring 1,585 runs at an average of 39.63 with three centuries and 10 fifties.

After an underwhelming start, Sharma revived his Test career as an opener with two centuries against South Africa at Vizag in 2019. He finished his Test career with 4,301 runs coming from 67 matches at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties. He led India in 24 Tests, winning 12 and losing nine games.

(With ANI Inputs)