The most significant development is the return of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan to the central contracts list. Both players were excluded in early 2024, reportedly due to disciplinary reasons related to domestic cricket participation. Iyer returns in Grade B (₹3 crore annual retainership) following strong performances, particularly his key role in India's recent Champions Trophy victory where he emerged as a vital part of the ODI setup. Kishan re-enters the list in Grade C (₹1 crore), despite not having featured for India since his previous contract was cancelled.
Maintaining their position in the elite Grade A+ category (₹7 crore) are Test captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Their retention confirms the BCCI's continued high valuation of their contributions across formats, overriding speculation that their T20I retirements might affect their top-bracket status.
Promotions and Grade Structure
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant receives a significant upgrade, moving from Grade B to Grade A (₹5 crore). This promotion reflects his successful comeback and integral role in the team. He joins KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, and Hardik Pandya in this category. Notably absent from the list is Ravichandran Ashwin, following his retirement from international cricket.
Grade B (₹3 crore) sees Suryakumar Yadav remain, despite his role as T20I captain, likely reflecting his primary participation in limited-overs formats. Interestingly, all-format spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel also stay in Grade B, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and the returning Shreyas Iyer.
The Grade C list (₹1 crore) has been expanded from 16 to 19 players, accommodating several new entrants who have represented India recently. Besides Ishan Kishan, notable inclusions are Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Rajat Patidar, reflecting their emergence onto the international scene.
Contract Framework
The contracts continue to be awarded based on player performance and participation across different international formats throughout the assessment period. Unlike the previous cycle, the BCCI announcement did not include a separate list for fast-bowling contracts, which were previously awarded to promising pacers performing well domestically.
The BCCI's 2024-25 central contracts signal stability at the top, reaffirming the value of multi-format senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while rewarding Rishabh Pant's resurgence. The reinstatement of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan suggests a pathway back based on performance and expected future roles. The expanded Grade C reflects a widening pool of talent being integrated into the national setup. In short, the list highlights that playing well regularly in all formats is the main thing BCCI looks at for contract grades.
