The BCCI is set to announce India’s men’s team central contracts for the 2025–26 season shortly after the New Year, with reports suggesting a significant reshuffle in player grades. The new list is expected to reflect India’s ongoing transition phase, rewarding emerging leaders while reassessing the status of senior stars.
According to a report by Sports Tak, Shubman Gill is in line for a major promotion, while long-time stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could face a demotion following their retirement from Test cricket.
Shubman Gill Set for Elite Upgrade
Gill’s rise has been swift and decisive. Having taken over as India’s Test and ODI captain, the young batter is expected to be elevated from Grade A to the elite Grade A+ category. The promotion would bring enhanced retainership benefits, including a higher annual salary and priority access across formats.
The move underlines the BCCI’s intent to build the next leadership core as Indian cricket enters a new era.
Rohit, Kohli Face Possible Downgrade
In contrast, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who currently feature in the Grade A+ bracket, are likely to be downgraded due to their reduced involvement after stepping away from Test cricket. With both now expected to feature primarily in ODIs, the board appears keen to align contract grades with format participation and workload.
Reports also suggest that Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja could face a similar reassessment, potentially slipping down a grade as the BCCI fine-tunes its structure based on availability and long-term planning.
Early Announcement Signals Shift in Approach
Interestingly, the upcoming contract announcement is expected earlier than usual. The previous retainership list for the 2024–25 season was released on April 21, but the board has opted for a quicker update — less than eight months later — despite the ongoing domestic season.
This accelerated timeline highlights the BCCI’s focus on clarity and stability ahead of major international commitments.
Current BCCI Central Contracts (2024–25)
Grade A+
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja
Grade A
Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya
Grade B
Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Grade C
Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana
