Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan regain BCCI's central contracts

A fiery run across the domestic season and an impressive contribution to India's Champions Trophy winning campaign have yielded positive results for Shreyas Iyer. The batter was left out of the BCCI's central contracts last year after skipping domestic fixtures despite multiple reminders. However, with a swift shift in priorities, Iyer worked his way back into the Mumbai team, featuring in First-Class cricket, List A matches, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 31-year-old went on to captain Mumbai to victories in both the Irani Cup and the SMAT. Additionally, Iyer emerged as a key performer for Team India during their successful ICC Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. After a season of consistent performances across formats, the BCCI has reinstated Iyer in the central contracts list.

BCCI releases central contract list: Rishabh Pant earns an updgrade while Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan rejoin 

BCCI released the men's central contracts list for the 2024-25 season, with senior stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah retaining their places in the elite Grade A+ category. The Indian skipper along with Kohli and Jadeja announced their retirement from the the shorter format after India's historic victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup. With their exit from one of the three formats, there was contention on where it will affect their Grade in BCCI's central contract list. However, it remains unchanged with teh senior players placed in the elite category.

Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan along with Shreyas Iyer has been re-inducted into the contract list after missing out last year. Similarly to Iyer, Kishan lost the contract after opting out of domestic league despite multiple reminders. The wicket-keeper batter dropped out from the South Africa Tour following the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup citing mental health issues. However, with his return to the Jharkhand team for the subsequent domestic season, Kishan has earned his credits back. Shreyas Iyer finds himself in the Grade B bracket this time, while Ishan Kishan has been included under Grade C.

As per BCCI guidelines, players who feature in a minimum of three Tests, eight ODIs, or 10 T20Is during the evaluation window automatically qualify for a Grade C contract on a pro-rata basis. The payment structure remains the same, Grade A+ players are entitled to ₹7 crore annually, Grade A players earn ₹5 crore, Grade B members receive ₹3 crore, and those in Grade C are allotted ₹1 crore per year.

Among the notable new additions, spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been awarded his maiden central contract, owing to his strong performances in the ICC Champions Trophy. Seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who called time on his international career in December 2024, has exited the contracts list.

Three other first-time entrants, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Abhishek Sharma, have also secured contracts following their impressive performances in the domestic and international circuit. On the flip side, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, and KS Bharat have not found a place in the 2024-25 roster.

In terms of current stars, India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been slotted into Grade B, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya holds a Grade A contract alongside pacers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Furthermore, the grade consists of top-order batters KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who has moved up from Grade B to Grade A after a remarkable comeback.

Rising opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel have also been named in Grade B. Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Arshdeep Singh have all been included in the Grade C category.

BCCI's central contract list 2024-25

Grade A+: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.

Grade A: Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant.

Grade B: Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer.

Grade C: Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Harshit Rana.