BCCI discloses plans after Kohli and Rohit retirement, set to remove THIS section from central contract due to…
The BCCI is set to make a significant tweak to its annual central contracts structure, and it’s a move that reflects how Indian cricket is evolving rather than any dramatic cost-cutting exercise.
According to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the board is planning to suspend the A-plus category altogether, a decision driven largely by recent high-profile retirements and changing player workloads across formats. Speaking to Sportstar, Saikia made it clear that the move is more about eligibility than economics.
At present, the A-plus category sits at the top of the BCCI’s pay pyramid, with players earning Rs 7 crore annually. Below that, Category A players earn Rs 5 crore, Category B Rs 3 crore, and Category C Rs 1 crore. However, the core requirement for A-plus has always been simple but strict: players must be active across all three formats. That’s where the problem cropped up.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, long-time pillars of Indian cricket, stepped away from T20Is after winning the World Cup in 2024. A year later, both announced their retirement from Test cricket as well, choosing to continue only in ODIs. Ravindra Jadeja, another former A-plus member, now operates only in Tests and ODIs. That leaves Jasprit Bumrah as the lone all-format regular.
“We are removing one category because the players who were eligible for the A-plus category are now playing just one of the three formats,” Saikia explained. “The criteria we have set to qualify a player for A-plus are not being fulfilled.” In short, the category no longer serves its original purpose.
Importantly, the BCCI has stressed that this decision isn’t aimed at penalising players. Saikia was quick to dismiss any notion of “heartburn” within the setup, clarifying that a one-format player simply doesn’t meet the threshold for the elite bracket anymore. The board believes it’s better to adapt the system than force-fit players into a structure that no longer reflects reality.
There’s also reassurance for Bumrah fans. Despite being the only cricketer still ticking all three-format boxes, the report suggests there will be no pay cut for India’s pace spearhead. Given his carefully managed workload and frequent injury discussions, the BCCI appears keen to reward his value rather than complicate matters further.
With the 2025-26 central contracts yet to be officially announced, this change signals a broader shift in how Indian cricket views longevity, workload management, and format specialisation. The era of expecting superstars to dominate across formats may be fading and the BCCI’s contract revamp is simply catching up with that reality.