The Board of Control for Cricket in India is scheduled to review central contracts during its Apex Council meeting on December 22. Among the major talking points is the possible downgrade of senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the A+ category, a decision that could result in a pay cut of INR 2 crore for both players.
Kohli and Rohit currently hold A+ contracts worth INR 7 crore annually. However, both players retired from T20Is in 2024 and from Test cricket in 2025 and now feature on;y
in ODIs. Their A+ retention last season was based on a backdated assessment of their participation in Test matches earlier in the year.
With the new contract cycle approaching, the BCCI will re-evaluate whether the duo should remain in the top bracket or move down to Grade A, which carries a payout of INR 5 crore. A downgrade would effectively slash their retainer by INR 2 crore. The December 22 AGM will cover multiple agenda points, but the central contracts, especially those of Kohli and Rohit, are set to dominate the discussion. While both the batters have produced brilliant performances, with Rohit being the Player of the Series against Australia, and Kohli bagging the same honour against South Africa this month.
The meeting will also discuss a likely promotion for India’s captain, Shubman Gill, who is expected to move up from Grade A to A+. Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, who are currently in A+, are also set for review but are likely to retain their positions.
Mithun Manhas and Raghuram Bhatt to oversee the discussions.
Another major point of discussion is the revision of payouts for women cricketers in domestic tournaments. Following India Women’s historic ODI World Cup win, a pay revision was expected. The BCCI will now take it up formally and address long-standing disparities, even though pay parity already exists at the international level.
The council will also consider revised pay structures for umpires and match referees, along with updates to BCCI’s digital properties. This meeting is notable as it is the first AGM after BCCI’s administrative restructuring. New office bearers, including president Mithun Manhas and treasurer Raghuram Bhatt, will oversee the discussions.
