BCCI locks decision on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah's Central Contracts Grade

Veteran Team India cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah are reportedly set to retain their A+ grade in the central contract list, according to a report by Sports Tak. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the final list for central contracts later this week.

Regular Indian players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were excluded from the BCCI central contract list last year. They failed to meet the BCCI's requirement of playing regular domestic cricket. Now, the date for the announcement of the central contracts for the upcoming season is just days away.

BCCI Set to Announce Central Contract List by End of This Week

Sports Tak confirmed that the new player contracts across all categories are nearly finalized and will be released within the next couple of days.

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"We have almost finalised the new contract for players in all categories, and it will be issued in the public domain soon in a day or two" A top source from BCCI told Sports Tak on the condition of anonymity.

"After the England tour, a new contract will be formalised, keeping in mind the recent performance of the player," the source added.

"It's likely to be the same, and a few new arrivals may be added on a later date. The source added that the coach and selectors have given their opinion, and we will close it soon," the source also said.

Also read: "I wasn’t targeting Jasprit Bumrah"- Karun Nair's No-Nonsense revelation

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli & Jasprit Bumrah Set to Retain A+ Grade

The report added that Shreyas Iyer is set to return to the central contract list following his stellar performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, Ishan Kishan is unlikely to secure a contract this time.

Iyer was India's highest run-scorer in the Champions Trophy. Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rohit Sharma are expected to retain their A+ contracts. Notably, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is. The overall list of players is likely to remain the same, but a few new names could be added later.

Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Abhishek Sharma are in line to earn their first BCCI central contracts. Nitish, Sarfaraz Khan, and Akash Deep, who have played enough Tests, are also expected to be awarded contracts.

India to Begin WTC 2025–27 Cycle with Test Series in England

India will kick off their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle with a five-match Test series against England after the conclusion of IPL 2025. Performances during this tour will play a crucial role in shaping the final BCCI central contracts.

Following their failure to reach the WTC 2023–25 final, India will be eager to make a strong start to the new cycle. They also aim to end a long-standing drought, having not won a Test series in England since 2007.

The series will begin at Headingley on June 20, and the remaining matches will be played at Edgbaston (July 2–6), Lord’s (July 10–14), Old Trafford (July 23–27), and The Oval (July 31–August 4).

Also read: BCCI swings the axe on India's Top Support Staff; sends indirect message to Gautam Gambhir