The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning a major change to its annual central contract structure. This possible overhaul includes getting rid of the elite Grade A+ category, that affect the earnings and status of the nation’s top players. Sources shows that if the board approves this new framework, senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma moved down to Grade B.
BCCI Propose Three-Tier Structure
The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, recommended this structural change. A final decision expected after the upcoming apex council meeting, where the board discuss the specific financial details of the new plan. Currently, the BCCI uses a four-tier system for annual retainers
- Grade A+: INR 7 crore per year
- Grade A: INR 5 crore per year
- Grade B: INR 3 crore per year
- Grade C: INR 1 crore per year
The proposed model suggests removing the A+ category entirely, leaving only Grades A, B, and C. While the exact salary changes for these tiers not confirmed. It eliminates the premium A+ slot marks a significant shift in how the board categorizes its top athletes.
Reasons for the Potential Demotion
In the 2024-25 contract list released in April 2025, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah part of the Grade A+ tier. However, since Kohli and Sharma now focused only on the One Day International (ODI) format, they placed in Category B under the new criteria.
The latest Grade A list by BCCI included players like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, and Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, Grade B featured T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer.
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