BCCI Central Contracts 2025-26: The news landed like a bombshell. After years of dominating the cricket world, two of India’s greatest ever batsmen—Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—have been demoted to Grade B contracts. It’s not just a financial adjustment; it’s a seismic shift in Indian cricket’s hierarchy that signals the BCCI‘s bold new direction for the national team.

On February 9, 2026, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced its central contracts for the 2025-26 season, and the changes are nothing short of revolutionary. The scrapping of the A+ category—which previously guaranteed premium earnings of Rs 5 crore annually—has fundamentally restructured how the board compensates its players.

BCCI Central Contracts 2025-26 – The Shake-Up: Who Lost, Who Won

With the A+ tier abolished, Kohli and Sharma find themselves sharing Grade B status with Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja ascended to the coveted Grade A category alongside Shubman Gill, cementing their status as India’s core players.

The real surprise? Five players earned sudden promotions to Grade A: Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer. This move reflects the BCCI’s confidence in the next generation and a deliberate strategy to build around younger talent for India’s future across all formats.

The Casualties: Shami’s Shocking Omission

Perhaps the most controversial cut involves pace legend Mohammed Shami, who has been dropped entirely from the central contracts list. Joining him outside are Mukesh Kumar, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rajat Patidar. Even T20 World Cup 2026 participant Ishan Kishan, recently recalled to the national T20I team, remained absent from the final list—a decision that raised eyebrows across the cricketing community.

BCCI Central Contracts 2025-26 Breakdown for Men’s

Grade	Players	Primary Category
A	Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja	Premium Elite
B	Washington Sundar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer	Senior Core
C	Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Ravi Bishnoi, Ruturaj Gaikwad	Development Pool

Women’s Contracts: A More Stable Picture

The women’s team saw considerably less turbulence. Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma maintained their Grade A status, while rising stars Renuka Singh Thakur and Shafali Verma earned Grade B contracts. This consistency reflects the BCCI’s ongoing investment in the women’s game.

Grade	Players
Grade A	Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma
Grade B	Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana
Grade C	Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis

What This Really Means

This restructuring isn’t merely about financial reallocation—it’s a philosophical statement. The BCCI is signaling that experience alone doesn’t guarantee premium contracts anymore. Performance, consistency, and alignment with the board’s long-term vision now weigh heavily in compensation decisions.

The Road Ahead

While Kohli and Sharma remain integral to India’s Test and ODI plans, their Grade B status sends a clear message: even legends must earn their premium remuneration through continuous excellence. Washington Sundar’s Grade A elevation, in particular, highlights the BCCI’s faith in all-rounders who balance multiple formats effectively.

This contract restructuring marks a pivotal moment where Indian cricket simultaneously honors its legends while embracing its future.

Key Takeaway: The BCCI’s 2025-26 contracts represent a generational shift—one where consistency, format adaptability, and youth potential matter as much as historical credentials in India’s national team.