Published: Feb 09, 2026, 09:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 09, 2026, 09:40 PM (IST)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially released the list of central contracts for the 2025-26 season (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) for senior men’s and women’s players. In a major shake-up, the prestigious A+ Grade has been discontinued, and both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been demoted from the top tier to Grade B.
The men’s list includes 30 players, while the women’s list features 21 players. The BCCI has not yet disclosed the annual retainer fees for the new grades.
The A+ category, which previously offered Rs 7 crore annually, has been eliminated. The previous structure had Grade A (Rs 5 crore), Grade B (Rs 3 crore), and Grade C (Rs 1 crore). The new retainer amounts remain unannounced.
Grade A
Grade B
Grade C
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who were previously in the elite A+ category, have been moved to Grade B. Both players are now limited to the ODI format following their retirement from T20Is and Test cricket (for Virat).
The A+ grade was introduced on the recommendation of former captain MS Dhoni to reward players excelling across all three formats. Over the years, only Kohli, Rohit, Jadeja, and Bumrah had been part of this exclusive group. With Rohit and Kohli stepping away from multiple formats and Jadeja also focusing more selectively, the BCCI has discontinued the category rather than retaining only Bumrah in it.
Notably, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has not been included in the central contract list this time.
Women’s Central Contracts
Grade A
Grade B
Grade C
