No more A+ category? BCCI plans central contract overhaul as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma likely to drop from top tier

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to make a major overhaul in its Annual Central Contracts system, with sweeping changes that could significantly reshape the hierarchy of Indian cricket’s elite players. As per an ANI report citing sources within the BCCI, the selection committee has proposed doing away with the prestigious Grade A+ category altogether, a move that would directly impact senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

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The proposal, put forward by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, recommends restructuring the contracts into just three categories — A, B and C — instead of the current four-tier system. As per sources familiar with the discussions, the A+ category, which currently carries an annual retainer of Rs 7 crore, is likely to be scrapped if the model receives approval from the BCCI’s apex council.




“If the new structure is cleared, players will be grouped based on current format involvement rather than stature or legacy,” a BCCI official was quoted by ANI on condition of anonymity. Under the proposed framework, Kohli and Rohit — who are now active only in ODIs — are expected to be placed in Grade B, which currently carries a retainer of Rs 3 crore.

The apex council is expected to deliberate on the proposal in its next meeting, where clarity will also emerge on whether the monetary slabs will be revised along with the structural changes. “Nothing is final yet, but there is a clear intent to align contracts with workload, formats played and future planning,” another senior BCCI source added.


The existing 2024-25 central contracts list, announced in April 2025, featured Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah in Grade A+. Grade A included Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant, while Grade B housed players such as Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. A large pool of emerging players were placed in Grade C.

Central contracts are annual retainers paid in addition to match fees and serve as both financial security and an indicator of a player’s standing in the national setup.


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