BCCI Unveils 2024–25 Central Contracts: Iyer and Kishan Return, Senior Stars Hold Top Spots

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially released the list of centrally contracted players for the 2024–25 season. In a significant development, the BCCI has reinstated Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan to the contracts list after excluding them last year. The board has retained stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja in the top Grade A+ bracket, despite speculation about their exclusion following their T20I retirements.

BCCI Rewards Performance and Discipline

The central contracts, categorized into Grades A+, A, B, and C, are based on players’ consistency, format participation, and overall conduct. Iyer and Kishan were excluded last season due to reported disciplinary issues. However, their recent performances have earned them a place once again. Iyer returns to Grade B after playing a vital role in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory, while Kishan—currently performing well in IPL 2025—has been slotted into Grade C.

Kohli, Rohit, Jadeja Continue Despite T20I Retirement

Despite stepping away from the T20I format, Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja have been retained in the A+ category, which offers an annual salary of ₹7 crore. Their experience and value across formats ensured their continuation at the top level of BCCI contracts.

First-Time Contracts for Rising Stars

Several young players received their first-ever central contracts this year. Notable among them are Rajat Patidar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, and Varun Chakaravarthy—who all have been placed in Grade C. Rishabh Pant, who has been making a strong comeback post-injury, was promoted to Grade A.

Full List of BCCI Central Contracts 2024–25

A+ Grade (₹7 crore):

• Rohit Sharma
• Virat Kohli
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Ravindra Jadeja

A Grade  (₹5 crore):

• Mohammed Siraj
• KL Rahul
• Shubman Gill
• Hardik Pandya
• Mohammed Shami
• Rishabh Pant

B Grade (₹3 crore):

• Suryakumar Yadav
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Axar Patel
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Shreyas Iyer

C Grade  (₹1 crore):

• Rinku Singh
• Tilak Varma
• Ruturaj Gaikwad
• Shivam Dube
• Ravi Bishnoi
• Washington Sundar
• Mukesh Kumar
• Sanju Samson
• Arshdeep Singh
• Prasidh Krishna
• Rajat Patidar
• Dhruv Jurel
• Sarfaraz Khan
• Nitish Kumar Reddy
• Ishan Kishan
• Abhishek Sharma
• Akash Deep
• Varun Chakaravarthy
• Harshit Rana

Focus on Youth and Bench Strength

BCCI’s latest list reflects a blend of experience and promising young talent. The inclusion of players like Harshit Rana and Abhishek Sharma underlines the board’s intent to groom future match-winners. Meanwhile, senior players continue to play crucial roles in guiding the team through transitions in format and leadership.

With a competitive international calendar ahead, including the England Test series and the World Test Championship final prospects, this central contract list sets the tone for India’s cricket roadmap through the 2024–25 season.

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