Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed its central contracts list for the 2025-26 season on Tuesday, completely eliminating the elite Grade A+ category.
This bold move has seen stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma downgraded to Grade B, while young guns Shubman Gill and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah have ascended to the top-tier Grade A.
The revamped system, based on players’ performances, leadership roles, and participation across formats, features just three names in Grade A: Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill, all-format star Jasprit Bumrah, and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Kohli and Sharma’s demotion stems from their limited involvement, now confined to ODIs, marking a poignant shift from their once-dominant era.
Grade B includes a mix of established and emerging talents like Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav (T20 captain), Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, and the demoted duo. The expansive Grade C roster boasts players such as Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, and newcomers like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ruturaj Gaikwad, totalling 30 men’s contracts.
This overhaul reflects the BCCI’s focus on rewarding consistency and multi-format contributions, signalling a generational transition. For the women’s team, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana lead Grade A, with similar gradings for the others.