BCCI Unveils 2025-26 Contracts: Kohli and Rohit Downgraded

The BCCI has announced the 2025-26 player contracts, downgrading Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to Grade B. Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja top men's contracts, while Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma lead women's lists. Grade A+ has been abolished this season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the annual player contracts for the 2025-26 season, marking a significant shift in the hierarchy. In an unexpected move, veteran cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been relegated to 'Grade B' in the BCCI's central contracts list.

Leading the charge in the men's Grade A category are India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. On the women's side, top contracts were secured by India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma. Notably, vice-captain Rishabh Pant was awarded a Grade B contract.

Additional Grade B contracts in men's cricket were handed to ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, among others. Meanwhile, Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, and Richa Ghosh were listed in the women's Grade B bracket. The Grade A+ category has been eliminated for this term, reflecting a restructured contracting approach by the BCCI.

(With inputs from agencies.)