BCCI Annual Contracts: Shreyas Iyer Set To Return, Virat Kohli To Be Retained In Top Grade?

Ahead of the Champions Trophy final, speculation has arisen as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to announce the annual central contracts for the national team players. Typically, the list is released in February, but this time it has been postponed. According to the board, a final decision will be made after evaluating the players' performances in the Champions Trophy.

Currently, players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja are in the 'A+' category. However, following their retirement from international T20s after winning the T20 World Cup and India's failure to reach the ICC World Test Championship final, their contracts are under review. If they perform well in the Champions Trophy final, they could retain their current category.

An official source from the board mentioned, "After the Champions Trophy, we will wait for Rohit Sharma's decision. If he decides to retire, the board will think about the next steps. However, it is also important to remember that he won the T20 World Cup last year and has been performing well as captain in this Champions Trophy."

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan lost their central contracts last year due to their absence from domestic cricket. While Ishan has not played international cricket since November 2023, Iyer has been playing a vital role in the ODI squad, and it is expected that he may receive a contract this year.

Last year, 30 players were included in the central contracts, with 6 in Grade 'A', 5 in Grade 'B', and 15 in Grade 'C'. Additionally, fast bowlers like Akash Deep, Yash Dayal, Umran Malik, Vijaykumar Vayshak, and V. Kaverappa were placed under fast-bowling contracts.

The outcome of the Champions Trophy final is expected to play a significant role in the final decision regarding this year's central contracts. The board will make its decision based on the performance of the Indian team.