BCCI Central Contracts 2024-25: Grades, Performances, and Future Impacts

The BCCI’s central contracts have long been seen as a mirror of the Board’s faith in players—not just rewarding past performances, but shaping future opportunities. With the 2024-25 annual retainership list announced, fans and pundits alike are dissecting every inclusion, exclusion, and reshuffle.

This time, the chatter isn’t just about who got promoted or dropped—it’s about who’s missing entirely and what that says about India’s cricketing direction.

The Structure: BCCI’s Grading System Decoded

Let’s break down the four categories that make up the BCCI’s annual central contracts:

• Grade A+ (₹7 crore): Elite match-winners who play all three formats regularly.

• Grade A (₹5 crore): Regulars across two or more formats.

• Grade B (₹3 crore): Important contributors, albeit format-limited or inconsistent.

• Grade C (₹1 crore): Emerging or role-specific players with sporadic appearances.

For 2024-25, 30 players have been included in the list. But it’s the names that didn’t feature—and the rearrangements—that are getting the most attention.

Who’s In: Reflecting Performance and Promise

Grade A+:

• Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja: No surprises here. Despite intermittent T20 absences, their sheer weight of performances in Tests and ODIs ensures their place.

Grade A:

• KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya

  • Siraj, Rahul, Pandya, and Gill have been consistent while KL’s comeback as a wicketkeeper-batter and Shami’s ODI World Cup brilliance earned him his spot.

  • Pant’s promotion is especially heartening, showing the board’s faith in his recovery and utility.

Grade B:

• Surya Kumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer

  • Ashwin has now retired from all forms of international cricket and has not been retained in the 2024-25 contract list despite previous appearances. A fitting farewell to a legend who consistently delivered for India in Tests.

  • Surya's T20 exploits and Kuldeep’s ODI resurgence make their positions justified. Gill and Yashasvi are seen as the face of India’s batting future.

  • Iyer was bound to make a thoroughly well-deserved comeback after his tremendous and impactful improvement following his controversial previous omission.

Grade C:

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

  • This grade reflects a balance of India’s current white-ball focus and future grooming.

  • Debuts and consistency in white-ball formats (especially T20Is) were the key selection criteria.

Who’s Out: Notable Omissions and Possible Misfits

Ravichandran Ashwin – Not retained due to his international retirement. A legend whose exit leaves a void in India’s red-ball legacy.

Jitesh Sharma – Having featured in multiple T20Is with decent showings as a finisher-wicketkeeper, his exclusion from even Grade C feels harsh. In my view, he has done more than enough to warrant retention and is still in contention for India’s T20 World Cup squad. A puzzling drop.

Shardul Thakur – While his bowling form may have wavered, his all-round abilities, match-winning cameos, and Test contributions make his complete omission questionable. He was pivotal in overseas wins and should at least have found a place in Grade C.

Avesh Khan – Another surprise. Though not a first-choice pacer, Avesh has put in solid performances in limited-overs cricket and was part of India’s T20I squad recently. A player still on the fringes, his complete omission hints at tough competition but possibly also a harsh call.

Sai Sudharsan – One of India’s most consistent young performers in the domestic circuit and IPL. So why is he not in the contract list? Here's the catch: Only players who have represented India in at least one international match (Test/ODI/T20I) are eligible for a central contract. Sai is yet to debut, so ineligible for now—but certainly deserves his cap soon. He's very much on the selectors' radar.

Pattern Watch: What Does the Grading Say?

The current list reveals three major strategic directions:

1. T20 World Cup Focus: Many inclusions in Grade C (Rinku, Tilak, Dube, Jurel) reflect India’s prep for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Performances in T20Is are clearly weighed heavily.

2. Reward for Red-Ball Excellence: Siraj, Jadeja, and even Jurel have been boosted based on Test consistency and grit. The selectors haven’t overlooked the importance of the longest format.

3. Wicketkeeper-Batter Transition: With Pant returning, KL playing as keeper in ODIs, and Sanju, Jitesh, and Dhruv competing in T20s, this area remains in flux. The contracts indicate no clear No. 1 yet, but plenty of contenders.

Question Marks & Criticisms

• Sanju Samson in, Jitesh out? Based purely on T20I form, Jitesh had a better strike rate and arguably more impactful innings. Sanju’s ODI century in South Africa might have tipped the scale, but the consistency question remains.

• Washington Sundar over Shardul or Avesh? Sundar hasn’t played consistently due to injury. Thakur and Avesh have at least been available and used across formats. One wonders if Sundar’s all-round skill set is being backed as future-proof.

• Rajat Patidar’s inclusion: After just a handful of international games, his inclusion signals a strong backing. It may raise eyebrows when compared to the omission of more seasoned names.

Impact on Future Performances

The Financial Boost

Central contracts are significant: not just symbolically, but financially. A Grade C contract at ₹1 crore can be life-changing for fringe players. Players outside the list rely on match fees alone.

Expect increased competition and hunger among players to break into or move up the contract hierarchy.

Motivation for Comebacks

Players dropped this year—like Shardul, Avesh, or Jitesh—won’t take this lightly. Expect renewed efforts in IPL, domestic tournaments, and whenever chances arise.

The contract list now becomes a motivational scoreboard for Indian players.

Impact on Uncapped Players

As seen with Sudharsan’s case, the bar is clear—you play for India, you become eligible. This transparent benchmark can motivate domestic talents like Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, or Harshit Rana to push harder.

International debuts are the doors to central contracts. It’s a two-step process for financial and professional elevation.

What the Future Holds

With a new selection committee and transition period in full swing, the central contracts for 2024-25 serve as a statement:

• Youth is being groomed.
• T20I specialists are being recognized.
• Test stalwarts are still valued.
• Loyalty alone doesn’t guarantee a contract.

Final Thoughts

The BCCI’s grading system isn’t perfect—but it reflects where Indian cricket is headed. While the omission of players like Jitesh Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, and Sai Sudharsan (due to technicality) raises eyebrows, the overall structure rewards performance, potential, and fitness.

In the end, central contracts are more than just paychecks—they're performance report cards and selectors’ vision boards rolled into one.

So here’s hoping that some of those left out come roaring back—and some of the young guns grab their moment under the sun.

Jai Ho!