The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to discuss revisions to the central contracts of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 22. The meeting, conducted virtually, will likely address the future of Kohli and Rohit's contracts, considering their limited participation in the T20I format.
Both Kohli and Sharma were in the A+ category for the 2024-25 cycle, despite having stepped away from T20Is after the T20 World Cup win last June. This top-tier category guarantees an annual retainer of INR 7 crore. However, with both players now only featuring in ODIs, there is speculation whether they will remain in the A+ bracket or be moved down to Grade A. A demotion to Grade A would result in a salary reduction of INR 2 crore, bringing their annual retainers down to INR 5 crore.
While a potential pay cut looms for the senior players, there's a possibility of significant gain for Shubman Gill. Gill, who currently falls under the Grade A category, might be promoted to the A+ category. This promotion would place him alongside senior players like Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah in the top tier.
The central contract structure of the BCCI is divided into four categories: A+, A, B, and C. These categories determine a player's annual salary based on their performance and involvement across all three formats of the game. The annual payouts are INR 7 crore for A+, INR 5 crore for A, INR 3 crore for B, and INR 1 crore for C.
The AGM will also address contracts for women players in domestic cricket. Other matters on the agenda include a revision in payments for umpires and match referees, along with an update on the board's digital properties.
The contracts, awarded to 34 players in total, are valid from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. Several players have recently earned their first BCCI central contracts, including Rajat Patidar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and others. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to the list after being dropped from the previous year's list. Rishabh Pant has also received a significant upgrade, moving to Grade A.
