India stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to continue their A+ grade BCCI central contract list for 2025-26, while Shreyas Iyer is expected to return to the list after being dropped on the previous occasion due to reportedly missing domestic cricket.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to retain Virat and Rohit in the A+ contract, which will see them earn Rs 7 crore despite the duo’s retirement from the T20I format.
Rohit and Virat had their last dance in the format after ending India’s ICC trophy drought by lifting the T20 World Cup last year in Barbados.
“Rohit and Virat will continue their A+ grade central contract (7 crore) even after retiring from T20I format. They are big players and will be accorded the respect they deserve. Shreyas Iyer is all set to be back in central contract,” BCCI sources said.
Rohit, a modern-day icon in the white-ball cricket, has lost his charm and purple patch across all formats. After bringing the curtain down on his T20I career on a memorable note, the seasoned opener’s bat has resorted to silence.
During India’s historic 3-0 home series whitewash against New Zealand, the fiery opener, who has lost his flamboyance, contributed just 91 runs across three Test matches, averaging 15.17.
Even before the series loss against the Kiwis, when India faced Bangladesh, the dynamic opener amassed a mere 42 runs in two Test matches while averaging just 10.50.
After a forgettable run at home, Rohit’s performance sparked criticism after his shambolic display in Tests in Australia. In five innings during the series, Rohit had only 31 runs to show at an abysmal average of 6.20.
Meanwhile, Virat, who could just make 190 runs in 10 innings during the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was among players who came under scrutiny after the 1-3 series loss to Australia.
Virat ended the last year with just 655 international runs in 23 matches and 32 innings, averaging 21.83, with a century and two fifties to his name. His best score was 100.
On the other hand, Shreyas, along with Ishan Kishan, were dropped from the BCCI’s central contract list after reportedly missing domestic cricket despite being available. Since then, Shreyas has put in the hard yards in India’s domestic circuit and exhibited a scorching form.
In his last Ranji Trophy campaign, Shreyas garnered 480 runs from five matches for Mumbai, averaging 68.57 while striking at a healthy rate of 90.22.
With 345 runs in his kitty from nine matches, Shreyas was the fourth-highest run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He exhibited his rich vein of form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, boasting 325 runs in five games at a staggering average of 325.00.
He was a part of India’s Champions Trophy-winning run in February and ended the tournament as the nation’s leading run-scorer with 243 runs from five matches. (ANI)
