BCCI Demotes Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. New Central Contracts List Out: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly formalised a significant overhaul of its central contracts for the 2025-26 season, marking the end of an era for the sport's most recognisable icons. According to a report, the elite A+ category, once the exclusive home of all-format superstars, has been scrapped entirely as the board moves to a streamlined three-tier structure. In a move that signals a transition towards the next generation, stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been moved to Group B. This "demotion" is largely a reflection of their current playing status. Both legends have stepped away from T20Is and Test cricket, focusing primarily on the ODI format. Hence, their current contributions didn't warrant a place in the top bracket, according to the BCCI's understanding.

Under the new system, the top tier is now Group A, reserved for those who remain pivotal across multiple formats or lead the national side. This exclusive bracket features just three names: Shubman Gill, who now captains the Test and ODI sides, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

The restructured list reflects the BCCI's intent to reward workload and multi-format availability over legacy. Here's the list shared by Dainik Jagran:

Group A: Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja.

Group B: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer.

Group C: Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Ravi Bishnoi, Ruturaj Gaikwad.

This reshuffle highlights a new approach by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. By removing the Rs 7 crore A+ bracket, the BCCI is aligning financial rewards with modern contributions. While the removal of the top tier might seem like a pay cut for the seniors, it ensures that the contract system remains as meritocracy-based as it was in the past, but with current match involvements rather than historical stature, carrying more weightage.

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