A-plus category on hold as BCCI looks to rework central contracts structure

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to revamp its men's annual central contracts structure, with the A-plus category likely to be removed for the 2025-26 season. This decision follows the evolving international commitments of senior players, notably Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who now focus solely on ODIs after stepping away from Tests and T20Is.

Under the current framework, the A-plus bracket offers an annual retainer of ₹7 crore, followed by ₹5 crore in Category A, ₹3 crore in Category B, and ₹1 crore in Category C. For the next cycle, contracts are expected to feature only A, B, and C categories, effectively suspending the top tier.

Last season, only four players—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja—were in the A-plus group. Of these, Bumrah is the only one currently active across all three formats. Kohli and Rohit are now ODI-only cricketers, while Jadeja continues in Tests and ODIs, having retired from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup. With A-plus eligibility tied to all-format availability, the qualifying pool has significantly thinned.

BCCI sources indicate the move aims to align the contract structure with current realities, not to downgrade individual players. One-format specialists will not be considered for A-plus, making its continuation impractical now.

Despite the change, Jasprit Bumrah is not expected to see reduced earnings. He remains central to India's plans across formats and leads the pace attack, with his workload managed through selective rest and rotation.

The BCCI will formally announce the centrally contracted players list for 2025-26 in the coming weeks, with revised categories reflecting format commitments and workload considerations.