BCCI Shakes Up Central Contracts: Kohli and Rohit Moved to B Category
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made significant changes to its annual central contracts for the 2025-26 season, with two of the nation's most celebrated cricketers facing a notable demotion. According to a report published by Dainik Jagran, former captain Virat Kohli and current T20I captain Rohit Sharma have been moved from the prestigious A+ category down to the B category in the latest contract list.
Top Tier Reduced to Just Three Players
This restructuring has resulted in a dramatically reduced elite group. The report indicates that only three players now occupy the highest-paying Group A category for the upcoming season. Those retaining their spots in the top tier are:
- Shubman Gill - The young batting prodigy and current Test captain
- Jasprit Bumrah - India's premier fast bowler and vice-captain
- Ravindra Jadeja - The veteran all-rounder and spin-bowling stalwart
This represents a substantial contraction from previous years, where the A+ and A categories typically included more established senior players.
Group B Features Star-Studded Lineup
The B category, where Kohli and Rohit now find themselves, remains packed with talent and experience. Joining them in this group is India's dynamic T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, whose explosive batting has made him a key limited-overs asset.
The complete Group B roster, as per the report, includes:
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Washington Sundar
- KL Rahul
- Hardik Pandya
- Mohammed Siraj
- Rishabh Pant
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shreyas Iyer
Emerging Talent Fills Group C
The C category showcases the next generation of Indian cricket talent, featuring promising youngsters and players on the fringe of national selection. This extensive list includes:
Notable names in Group C: Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurail, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudarshan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The BCCI's contract system is designed to reward players based on their recent performances, fitness levels, and importance to the national team across formats. The demotion of two of India's most successful modern cricketers suggests a strategic shift toward valuing current form and future potential over past achievements.
While the women's team contracts were not detailed in this particular report, the men's team restructuring indicates the board's ongoing evaluation of player contributions and marketability. These contract decisions often reflect selection priorities for upcoming international assignments and tournaments.
The move comes at a time when Indian cricket is transitioning between generations, with established stars gradually making way for emerging talent. How this contractual realignment affects team dynamics and individual performances will be closely watched by fans and analysts throughout the 2025-26 season.
