The Indian cricket board (BCCI) was set to unveil the annual central contracts list for the 2025–2026 season in the coming days.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly ready to announce its annual list of centrally contracted players for the 2025–2026 season. According to a report by Cricbuzz, the decision has already been made and an official announcement is expected soon.
As per the board’s current policy, players who have played at least 3 Tests, 8 ODIs, or 10 T20Is during the season qualify for inclusion in the Grade C list on a pro-rata basis.
The central contracts are divided into four grades:
- Grade A+ – ₹7 crore
- Grade A – ₹5 crore
- Grade B – ₹3 crore
- Grade C – ₹1 crore
Young players like Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, and Harshit Rana are likely to receive their first-ever central contracts. Abhishek has been India’s preferred opening batter in T20Is alongside Sanju Samson, while Nitish made an impressive Test debut during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Harshit Rana has been a consistent performer across all formats for India in recent times.
Spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who impressed during his recent T20I performances and played a key role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, is also expected to be included. Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja are set to retain their Grade A+ status.
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Shreyas Iyer, who was excluded from the retainers list last year, is expected to be back in the contracts list. He played a crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, finishing as the top run-scorer of the tournament.
However, Mohammed Siraj may face a possible demotion after being dropped following India’s Test series loss in Australia earlier this year. His place in the contract structure is uncertain as he has been out of the selection radar since.
A BCCI source mentioned that the number of changes in the grades will be minimal, likely limited to only 2–3 players. The final list will soon reveal the exact changes made by the board.
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