New Delhi: The BCCI is set to streamline the players’ central contracts by doing away with the A+ category introduced back in 2018.
As per the existing policy, a cricketer in A+ category is paid Rs 7 crore annually, Rs 5 crore in A, Rs 3 crore in B and Rs 1 crore in C.
In the yet to be announced retainers for 2025-26, players will only be bracketed in A, B and C category.
Only four players -- Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja -- were placed in the highest A+ category in the previous cycle.
Out of four, only Jasprit Bumrah remains an all format player. Kohli and Rohit play only the ODI format while Jadeja remains part of the Test and ODI set up having retired from the shortest format.
The central contracts will be ratified at the next Apex Council meeting. However, a BCCI official told PTI there would be no pay cut for someone like Bumrah who remains the leader of the pace attack in all formats despite missing games here and there due to workload management.