Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are likely to be demoted as the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee has proposed scrapping the elite A+ category. There are also talks about placing these two veterans in the Grade B category. Instead of acknowledging their recent strong performances in ODIs, the committee has decided to base this on their participation in Test and T20I formats, as both players have not been featuring in these formats since January 2025.
This restructuring will leave only three tiers in the contract system: A, B, and C, and will also impact Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, who currently share the same A+ category. The BCCI Apex Council is expected to deliberate on this proposal at their upcoming meeting, with the decision potentially reshaping how India’s top cricketers are compensated.
Current BCCI Central Contract Categories and Salaries
| Category | Annual Retainer | Current Players |
|---|---|---|
| A+ Grade | Rs 7 crore | Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja |
| A Grade | Rs 5 crore | Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant |
| B Grade | Rs 3 crore | Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer |
| C Grade | Rs 1 crore | Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, and others |
What the New Structure Means
The proposed changes reflect a practical shift in Indian cricket’s landscape. With Kohli and Rohit now exclusively playing ODI cricket and Jadeja also reducing his international commitments, the selection committee believes the A+ category, originally designed for multi-format stars, no longer serves its purpose.
Under the new model, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to lead Grade A, whilst emerging captain Shubman Gill could receive a promotion given his leadership role across formats. The restructuring also opens doors for consistent performers like Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana to move up the ladder.
Whilst the financial impact on Kohli and Rohit is substantial on paper, a potential drop from Rs 7 crore to Rs 3 crore annually, both remain cricket’s highest earners through IPL contracts and commercial endorsements. The BCCI Apex Council will make the final decision, balancing financial logic with the sensitivities of restructuring contracts for two of the game’s greatest players.
