BCCI Unveils 2025-26 Central Contracts: Big Shifts in Men’s and Women’s Teams

This year’s list brings significant changes, reflecting retirements, promotions, and emerging talents in both the men’s and women’s squads.

In a major shake-up for the men’s team, veteran batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been demoted to Grade B. This follows their retirement from Test cricket last year, limiting their participation to the 50-over format. The duo, who have been pillars of Indian cricket for over a decade, will now share the tier with players like KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Stepping into the spotlight is India’s new Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill, who has earned his first promotion to the elite Grade A. He joins pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in this top category. Notably, the BCCI has streamlined the men’s contract structure by eliminating the Grade A+ tier, bringing it in line with the women’s three-tier system.

The men’s list also welcomes Sai Sudharsan as the sole new entrant, recognising his consistent performances. However, several players have been omitted this season, including Sarfaraz Khan, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar, and Mukesh Kumar, signalling a focus on current form and future potential.

On the women’s front, the contracts highlight India’s triumphant run at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma retain their spots in Grade A, joined by Jemimah Rodrigues, who receives a well-deserved promotion after her standout year. Rodrigues played a pivotal role in India’s title win, including a memorable Player of the Match performance in the semi-final against Australia, where her speech captured the team’s fighting spirit.

Sneh Rana also climbs up, moving from Grade C to Grade B, alongside players like Renuka Thakur and Shafali Verma. The women’s list introduces several fresh faces with maiden contracts: Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Tejal Hasabnis. Harleen Deol slots into Grade C. Meanwhile, notable absences include Shreyanka Patil, Pooja Vastrakar, and Titas Sadhu.

This contract cycle underscores the BCCI’s emphasis on rewarding consistent performers while nurturing young talent amid format-specific retirements and global successes.

Men’s Central Contracts 2025-26:

• Grade A: Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja
• Grade B: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer
• Grade C: Axar Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Ravi Bishnoi

Women’s Central Contracts 2025-26:

• Grade A: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma
• Grade B: Renuka Thakur, Sneh Rana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh
• Grade C: Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis

These contracts not only provide financial security but also reflect the board’s strategic vision for Indian cricket’s future.