Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma dragged down to Grade B as Ajit Agarkar ends Grade A+ in BCCI central contracts
Published - 20 Jan 2026, 11:38 AM | Updated - 20 Jan 2026, 11:34 PM
A major shake-up could be on the cards in India’s central contract system, with the BCCI set to review a revised model proposed by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. If approved, the A+ category may be removed, and senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could be moved down to category B.
The BCCI gives central contracts to its top players every year. Indian players are divided into four grades: A+, A, B, and C. The board decides the contract grades based on player performance, experience, and availability for national duty. Around 30-35 players receive central contracts each season.
The BCCI’s Apex Council and national selectors review the list every year. The system helps give players financial security while they meet the demands of international cricket.
Ajit Agarkar Proposes Scrapping A+ Contracts as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Face Possible Demotion
According to a report by Sports Tak, Ajit Agarkar wants the A+ category removed from India’s central contract system. If the Board of Control for Cricket in India approves the proposal at the next Apex Council meeting, only three grades will remain: A, B, and C.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja are placed in the A+ category, with a fee of Rs 7 crore. Grade A players receive Rs 5 crore, Grade B Rs 3 crore, and Grade C Rs 1 crore.
Rohit and Kohli, who now play only one format, are expected to move to Category B. However, the revised payment structure for each grade has not yet been confirmed.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Remain in BCCI’s Top Contract Bracket
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is together after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. Both players then stepped away from Test cricket within days of each other ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, leaving them active only in ODI cricket.
Despite retirements, Rohit and Kohli were retained in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s top central contract tier, Grade A+. Kohli has been part of this bracket since it was introduced in 2018.
They remained in Grade A+ last cycle because the BCCI places greater importance on Test and ODI cricket than T20Is. The previous contract period was from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, and also included Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja in the highest category.
List of BCCI’s centrally contracted players (2024-25):
Grade A: Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Md. Shami, Rishabh Pant.
Grade B: Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer.
Grade C: Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, 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 Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana.
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Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...
