The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revamped its central cricket contract structure for the 2025-26 season. The primary shift in the structure is the scrapping of the elite A+ structure, and shifting legendary cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the top structure to B.
Note that the BCCI hasn’t made this information live yet, but sources like the TOI and Dainik Jagran have published the leaked details.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Demoted to B Tier in the BCCI Contracts
Under the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee’s recommendation, the BCCI reportedly scrapped the elite A+ structure, resulting in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s demotion to the B Tier.
Notably, the BCCI previously operated the four-tiered system of A+, A, B, and C. Now there are only three: –
| Grade | Format |
| A | This is the new top tier, reserved for essential multi-format players |
| B | Includes former captains and white-ball specialists |
| C | Focused on emerging talent and T20I regulars |
In addition to these two players, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer are also in Grade B.
Why did Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Get Demoted?
Notably, Kohli and Sharma have not been demoted due to any performance-related issues. Instead, it is due to their format of participation, as both players have retired from the T20 Internationals and Test Cricket.
They only play ODIs, which makes them unfit for the Grade A category, including only multi-format players.
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Interestingly, these categories have a fixed pay scale. Last year’s data reveals that A+ earns ₹7 Crore, A earns ₹5 Crore, B earns₹3 Crore, and C earns ₹1 Crore annually.
Who’s in the Grade A Elite Tier?
After the removal of the A+ bracket, A is now the elite or top-tier category. The 2025-26 season’s Grade A includes only three names: Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja.
These three players perfectly fit the Grade A’s criteria, as they play in multiple formats. Gill currently serves as the Test and ODI Captain, Bumrah is a spearhead across formats, and Jadeja is an all-rounder in Test and ODIs.
Notably, Mohammed Shami, who was in the A category last year, has been omitted from the list this year.
Group C Names
Group C includes the names of the emerging talents and T20 regulars. Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sai Sudarshan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are in this group for the 2025-26 season.
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The leaked list did not include players like Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rajat Patidar, who were in Grade C last year.
| Category | Criteria | Annual Pay (Last Year Stats)* | Key Players Included |
| Grade A | All-format / Essential | ₹5 Crore | Shubman GillJasprit BumrahRavindra Jadeja |
| Grade B | Limited format / Seniors | ₹3 Crore | Virat KohliRohit SharmaSuryakumar YadavRishabh PantKL RahulHardik PandyaYashasvi JaiswalWashington SundarMohammed SirajKuldeep YadavShreyas Iyer |
| Grade C | Emerging / T20 regulars | ₹1 Crore | Rinku SinghShivam DubeSanju SamsonArshdeep SinghAbhishek SharmaHarshit RanaAxar PatelTilak VarmaPrasidh KrishnaAkash DeepDhruv JurelVarun ChakravarthyNitish Kumar ReddySai SudarshanRavi BishnoiRuturaj Gaikwad |
BCCI Tier Contracts for Women Cricketers
The BCCI has selected four women cricketers in the top tier, including World Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma.
Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, and Sneh Rana are in Group B. Lastly, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaur, Uma Chhetri, Arundhati Reddy, Sri Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Kashvi Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Tejal are in Group C.