Rohit, Kohli to Retain A+ Contracts, Iyer Set for Comeback
Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are likely to continue with their A-grade contracts in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) yearly player contracts for the 2024/25 cycle. Even though Rohit and Kohli have announced retirement from T20Is, both will continue to be in the A category, which is worth a hefty Rs 7 crore.
Shreyas Iyer, one of India's top run-scorers in the recent Champions Trophy, is expected to make a strong return to the central contract list, marking a successful comeback after a stint away. But wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who was left out of the central contracts last year along with Iyer, might have to wait a little longer for his inclusion, sources told.
The BCCI is also considering all-rounder Axar Patel for a possible promotion, after his crucial inputs in India's unbeaten streaks in the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy. Patel's recent form has made him a strong candidate for a higher contract.
Additionally, young talents like Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Abhishek Sharma, who have delivered impressive performances across various formats over the past year, are also in line to secure their first-ever central contracts, sources suggest.
In an interesting development, last week the BCCI announced the annual retainers for the India senior women’s team for the 2024/25 cycle. In the meantime, the important meeting between BCCI Senior Men's Selection Committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar and Board Secretary Devajit Saikia, which was to take place on Saturday in Guwahati, was put off. The meeting was to finalize the annual retainers for the men's team and the initial composition of both the India 'A' team and the senior team for the tour of England ahead.
India's five-Test series in England at Headingley will begin on June 20, their first Test series since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat against Australia.
