The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appears to be facing internal disagreements regarding the inclusion of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja in the top A-Plus Grade category of central contracts.
According to a report, not all stakeholders within the board are in agreement over their continued presence in the highest pay grade. However, the report also highlights that “an influential section” within the board is in favor of maintaining the current structure for now.
BCCI’s central contracts are structured into four tiers, with the A-Plus category offering a retainership of ₹7 crore, followed by Grade A at ₹5 crore, Grade B at ₹3 crore, and Grade C at ₹1 crore. Last year, only Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah held A-Plus contracts, a reflection of their ability to contribute across all three formats of the game.
To qualify for a central contract, a player must meet the criteria of playing at least three Test matches, eight ODIs, or ten T20Is in a calendar year. The selection of contracted players is determined by the national selection committee in consultation with the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, before the list is presented to the Apex Council for approval.
Following their retirement from T20Is after the men’s T20 World Cup last year, Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja are no longer active in all three formats. With no young cricketer emerging as a consistent all-format player, only Bumrah remains in that category, making the debate over the senior trio’s contracts even more complex.
