BCCI Announces 2025/26 Player Contracts: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Demoted to Grade B
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released its annual player retainership for the 2025/26 season, bringing significant changes to the contract grades for senior men's and women's teams. In a notable shift, veteran former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been demoted from the topmost bracket to Grade B contracts. This marks a departure from their long-standing positions in the A+ category, reflecting their current participation solely in ODI cricket after retiring from T20Is in 2024 and Tests in 2025.
Men's Team Contract Grades: Only Three Players in Grade A
The BCCI has scrapped the A+ contract bracket altogether for the 2025/26 season. Consequently, the highest Grade A now includes only three male players:
- Shubman Gill (Test captain)
- Jasprit Bumrah (ace fast bowler)
- Ravindra Jadeja (veteran all-rounder)
Grade B contracts have been awarded to a broader group of key players, including:
- Suryakumar Yadav (T20I captain)
- Rishabh Pant
- Hardik Pandya
- KL Rahul
- Shreyas Iyer
- Mohammed Siraj
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Washington Sundar
Axar Patel, the T20I vice-captain, has been placed in Grade C. A notable exclusion from the list is veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who was in Grade B last year but has not played for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March.
Women's Team Contract Grades: Four Players in Grade A
In contrast to the men's team, the women's squad sees four players awarded Grade A contracts:
- Harmanpreet Kaur (captain)
- Smriti Mandhana (batter)
- Jemimah Rodrigues (batter)
- Deepti Sharma (all-rounder)
Grade B contracts for the women's team include Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, and Sneh Rana.
Performance Context: Rohit and Kohli's ODI Form
Despite their demotion in contract grades, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have maintained strong performances in ODIs. Kohli, in particular, has been in exceptional form during the 2025/26 season, scoring 616 runs in nine matches with three centuries at an average of 88.00. Rohit Sharma has also shown consistent contributions, underscoring their ongoing value to the team in the limited-overs format.
The BCCI's contract decisions are based on a combination of factors, including recent performances, format participation, and future prospects. This restructuring highlights the board's focus on current active players across all formats, while still recognizing the contributions of seasoned veterans like Rohit and Kohli in their specialized roles.
