Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on a contract the previous season because they didn’t play in local tournaments, have returned. The central contract for the India Men’s Senior team for the 2024–25 season was revealed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday, April 21. The Grade A+ list includes all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, top batsman Virat Kohli, and ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah in addition to ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma.
While the majority of the 34 players who were given contracts were kept, some also received their first central contract from the BCCI. Included is Abhishek Sharma, who has played 17 Twenty20 Internationals for the Indian side and opens the format. Nitish Kumar Reddy, an all-rounder who made his T20I and Test debut in late 2025, has also been added. One of the three newcomers is the pacer Harshit Rana.
While veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has inevitably made his way out, all-format wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was a member of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy 2025 winning squad, has been promoted from Grade B to Grade A. Mohammed Siraj, meanwhile, has kept his Grade A contract with the BCCI after being cut from the ODI squad prior to the Champions Trophy.
Iyer, who is in Grade B, is a member of the group that also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was promoted from Grade C the year before. The addition of pacer Akash Deep, who made his debut against England in 2024 and was a member of the team that travelled to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, from his prior
T20 pacer Avesh Khan and Test wicketkeeper KS Bharat are among those who have been expelled. All-rounder Shardul Thakur and T20I specialist Jitesh Sharma have also been sidelined. During the 2023–24 season, all four of the aforementioned were in Grade C.
Sarfaraz Khan, who has only played red-ball cricket for India thus far, was automatically added after fulfilling the minimum match requirements. Ishan Kishan, who may not have played for the national team in the past year or so, is among the players in Grade C. His consistent domestic performances and discipline have earned him a spot back in the squad.
Varun Chakravarthy, the champion of the Champions Trophy, has made a spectacular return following a dismal tenure under his previous board contract.
BCCI Central Contracts Announcement 2025-2026
Category A+ (4 players) – ₹7 crore per annum
| S. No. | Player Name |
| 1 | Rohit Sharma |
| 2 | Virat Kohli |
| 3 | Ravindra Jadeja |
| 4 | Jasprit Bumrah |
Category A+ (4 players) – ₹5 crore per annum
| S. No. | Player Name |
| 1 | Mohammed Siraj |
| 2 | KL Rahul |
| 3 | Shubman Gill |
| 4 | Hardik Pandya |
| 5 | Mohammed Shami |
| 6 | Rishabh Pant |
Category B (5 players) –₹ 3 crore per annum
| S. No. | Player Name |
| 1 | Suryakumar Yadav |
| 2 | Kuldeep Yadav |
| 3 | Axar Patel |
| 4 | Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| 5 | Shreyas Iyer |
Category c (19 Players) – 1 crore per annum
| S. No. | Player Name |
| 1 | Arshdeep Singh |
| 2 | Rinku Singh |
| 3 | Tilak Varma |
| 4 | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| 5 | Shivam Dube |
| 6 | Ravi Bishnoi |
| 7 | Washington Sundar |
| 8 | Mukesh Kumar |
| 9 | Sanju Samson |
| 10 | Prasidh Krishna |
| 11 | Rajat Patidar |
| 12 | Dhruv Jurel |
| 13 | Sarfaraz Khan |
| 14 | Nitish Kumar Reddy |
| 15 | Ishan Kishan |
| 16 | Abhishek Sharma |
| 17 | Akash Deep |
| 18 | Varun Chakravarthy |
| 19 | Harshit Rana |
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