BCCI is set to announce the central contract for 2025-26, and many players are getting a promotion in their contract, while a few players are getting their maiden central contracts, who played well in the absence of players.
As per the policy of the BCCI contract, which was followed last year, “athletes who meet the criteria of playing a minimum of three Tests or eight ODIs or 10 T20Is within the specified period will automatically be included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis.” Abhishek Sharma is set to earn the contract on these criteria, especially after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format of the game.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made his debut for India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024 has shown some good cricket in the series which includes his maiden century and he can also get a central contract from the BCCI. Since he is playing two formats regularly and will be in contention for ODIs as well, Nitish can earn a Grade B contract.
Harhsit Rana debuted for India along with Nitish Reddy and has been part of all three formats, including the Champions Trophy 2025, which he won with Team India. He is a key part of the team’s success in the mega tournament and is likely to be rewarded with a central contract soon.
Along with the young talents, star spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel can be promoted from a Grade B contract to a Grade A contract after their fantastic performance in the Champions Trophy 2025, and the middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, who recently won the ICC player of the month award for March 2025 can regain his contract after being dropped for the 2024-25 season. Apart from that, Varun Chakaravarthy is one of the cricketers who is expected to earn a contract.
The sources further said that senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to retain their places in the A+ grade
