Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) The 2025-26 central contract valuation is reportedly being considered to be revised to compensate top performers like Jasprit Bumrah. After the removal of the A+ category, the fast bowler will face a potential salary cut from Rs 7 crore to Rs 5 crore due to the change in grade.
Last month, the board awarded annual contracts to 30 men and 21 women cricketers, dividing them into Groups A, B and C. A+ category has been removed from the contract structure. Only senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have played ODIs, have been placed in Group B under the revised system.
BCCI may rethink contract structure after scrapping A+ category
BCCI removed the A+ category citing insufficient number of players. However, the board may be forced to re-look at the existing appraisal structure to ensure that consistent performers do not lose the money they received last year.
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Jasprit Bumrah has received a Grade A+ contract since the inception of the tier during the 2018–19 season. Under the previous system, Grade A+ players got Rs 7 crore per year. Meanwhile, Grade A, B and C players received Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively.
While announcing this year’s retainership, the BCCI did not mention the salaries for each category, and the players have not yet been officially informed about the value of their contracts.
Grade A+ was for players who made it to all three formats. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from the two formats and Ravindra Jadeja stepping away from T20Is, only Jasprit Bumrah was left on the board. Grade A includes Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.
BCCI wants to protect Jasprit Bumrah after Grade A placement
Despite performing well in all three international formats, Jasprit Bumrah has been kept in Grade A. According to a Times of India report, the board is looking for ways to avoid unfairly penalizing its premier bowler.
“The board is trying to figure out how Bumrah can be compensated. It makes sense that it would be unfair to reduce his fee from Rs 7 crore to Rs 5 crore. There are some other players too who have gone down a grade despite performing well. There could be a revision in the contract valuation,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Questions have been raised on Akshar Patel’s Grade C deal amid changes in contract.
Another much talked about name is that of T20I vice-captain Axar Patel. Despite being an integral part of India’s white-ball setup during the 2024-25 season, he was given a Grade C contract, initially worth Rs 1 crore.
Axar played a key role in India’s recent success by finishing 11th among T20I all-rounders in 2025. Based on his performances, he appeared to meet many of the selection criteria, making a Grade B contract a strong possibility.
Along with Jasprit Bumrah and Axar, several other consistent performers also faced unexpected demotions.
