Signalling a shift in the hierarchy of Indian cricket, the BCCI has officially demoted batting icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in its latest central contract list. For the first time in over a decade, neither player features in the top tier of the board’s annual retainership.
The Grade A+ category, which formerly housed the elite "all-format" quartet, has been scrapped entirely. Instead, the board has cantered its top-tier Grade A around the future: Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
The demotion of Kohli and Rohit is largely a reflection of their dwindling footprint across formats. Having retired from T20Is in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025, the legends are now categorized as single-format players.
Under the BCCI’s strict evaluation criteria, Grade A is now reserved for those who are automatic selections across multiple formats or lead the primary units.
"B" bracket: Kohli and Rohit are joined in Grade B by T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and a returning Rishabh Pant.
Notable exclusions: Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami has been dropped entirely, a move many see as the selectors looking toward the 2027 World Cup cycle. Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rajat Patidar also missed out after failing to meet match-quota requirements.
| Category | Men’s Players (Key Names) | Women’s Players (Key Names) | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja | Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues | ₹5 Crore+ |
| Grade B | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant | Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana | ₹3 Crore |
| Grade C | Axar Patel (VC), Sai Sudharsan (New), Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh | Radha Yadav, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol | ₹1 Crore |
The 2025-26 cycle marks the official coronation of Shubman Gill as the face of the new era. Taking over the dual captaincy of the Test and ODI sides from Rohit Sharma last year, Gill is the cycle's biggest financial and status gainer.
Meanwhile, Jemimah Rodrigues has earned a promotion to the women’s Grade A following a standout performance in the 2025 World Cup.