The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to review potential modifications to the central contracts for Indian male cricketers at its upcoming Apex Council meeting. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has put forth suggestions for consideration. These proposals will be deliberated upon formally during the meeting, as confirmed by sources within the BCCI.
It is anticipated that the existing Grade A+ category may be phased out, pending approval from the Apex Council. Any alterations to the grading system and associated financial adjustments will be finalized post the council’s decision. Currently, the central contracts for Indian male cricketers are divided into categories A+, A, B, and C, along with match fees for various formats.
The Grade A+ players presently receive an annual retainer of Rs 7 crore, with Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore, and Rs 1 crore allocated to those in Grades A, B, and C, respectively. Notably, senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja fall under the A+ bracket. However, the potential restructuring raises questions about their placement, particularly considering the formats they specialize in.
The latest contracts list from 2024/25 revealed that players such as Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, and Rishabh Pant were in Grade A. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer were categorized under Grade B. Additionally, a group including Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and others were placed in Grade C.
