Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Set For Demotion as BCCI Set For Major Shake-up in India’s Central Contracts For 2025-26
BCCI to reshuffle India’s central contracts for 2025-26, with Shubman Gill set for Grade A+ and seniors likely downgraded.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is set to announce India’s men’s central contracts for the 2025-26 season soon, and a big reshuffle across grades is expected.
Reports suggest Shubman Gill will be promoted from Grade A to Grade A+. The move reflects his growing importance as India’s Test and ODI captain and the board’s faith in him as a long-term leader.
Senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are likely to move down from Grade A+. Both have stepped away from Test cricket and are now mainly focused on ODIs.
Two other big names, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, are also reportedly in line for downgrades. The reason is their reduced involvement across all three formats.
The upcoming list is expected earlier than usual. Last season’s central contracts were announced on April 21, 2025, making this a quicker rollout from the board.
These changes point to a clear shift in thinking. The BCCI appears keen to reward players who are active in multiple formats, while also fast-tracking Gill as the face of the team for the future.
Current Contract Picture
At present, Grade A+ includes Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, and Jadeja. Gill is placed in Grade A along with players like Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya.
Grade B features names such as Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Grade C has several emerging players including Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shivam Dube.
