The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released a list of centrally contracted players for the 2024–25 season, bringing back a few familiar faces and introducing new names into the senior men’s setup. The contracts, which cover the period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, feature a total of 34 players, categorized into four grades.
Team India’s all-format captain Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli remain in the Grade A+ bracket—the highest retainer category worth ₹7 crore annually. They are joined by left-arm all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, both of whom have consistently performed across formats over the past few years.
While Kohli and Rohit continue to hold sway despite debates over transition and workload, their presence underscores the BCCI’s backing for experience in a competitive calendar that includes the Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship cycle.
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Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who had been demoted to Grade B last season due to an extended layoff following a near-fatal car crash in 2022, has made a successful return to Grade A (₹5 crore). His promotion comes as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retires, creating room in the higher division.
Pant’s return represents not only his dedication but also the team’s sustained belief in his ability to win games, especially in Test and white-ball formats.
The major talking point in this year’s contract list is the return of Shreyas Iyer (Grade B) and Ishan Kishan (Grade C), both of whom were controversially dropped last season. Their absence was linked to their decision to skip domestic cricket assignments in favor of IPL and personal breaks, which attracted criticism from selectors and the BCCI.
Their reinstatement suggests a reset in policy, possibly influenced by improved communication or reassurances from players. Iyer, in particular, was India’s top performer in the 2023 Champions Trophy and remains a key middle-order asset.
The Grade C category (₹1 crore annually) sees the highest number of players—19 in total—including promising youngsters like Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shivam Dube, all of whom have made notable strides in limited-overs cricket.
New additions to the central contract setup include Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, reflecting the selectors’ push to broaden the talent pool ahead of a packed international calendar.
Grade A+ (₹7 crore)
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Jasprit Bumrah
Ravindra Jadeja
Grade A (₹5 crore)
Mohammed Siraj
KL Rahul
Shubman Gill
Hardik Pandya
Mohammed Shami
Rishabh Pant
Grade B (₹3 crore)
Suryakumar Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav
Axar Patel
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shreyas Iyer
Grade C (₹1 crore)
Rinku Singh
Tilak Varma
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Shivam Dube
Ravi Bishnoi
Washington Sundar
Mukesh Kumar
Sanju Samson
Arshdeep Singh
Prasidh Krishna
Harshit Rana
Varun Chakravarthy
Abhishek Sharma
Nitish Kumar Reddy
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