Mumbai’s cricket circles are buzzing with the latest announcement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). On Monday, the board unveiled the annual player contracts for the 2025-26 season, covering senior men’s and women’s teams. Effective from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, this list signals a bold shift in Indian cricket’s hierarchy.
Veteran stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, once synonymous with Grade A status, have been relegated to Grade B. This move underscores a generational transition, spotlighting younger talents ready to take the mantle. Shubman Gill joins Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja in the elite Grade A for senior men, highlighting their pivotal roles in the team’s future.
Bumrah remains the sole fast bowler in the top tier, a testament to his unmatched versatility across formats and conditions. Jadeja’s retention as an all-rounder speaks volumes about his enduring value with bat, ball, and in the field. Meanwhile, Grade C boasts the largest contingent, blending emerging stars and format specialists like Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Young guns such as Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Sai Sudharsan have earned their spots through consistent performances, injecting fresh energy into the squad. Grade B features a mix of experienced campaigners and in-form players including KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, and others.
Full Senior Men’s Contracts Breakdown:
Grade A: Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja.
Grade B: Washington Sundar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer.
Grade C: Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Ravi Bishnoi, Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Shifting to the women’s team, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma anchor Grade A. The list incorporates promising youngsters across grades, with Shefali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, and Harleen Deol in Grades B and C. New faces like Uma Chetry, Kranti Gaud, and Kashvee Gautam mark exciting debuts in central contracts.
Women’s Contracts Breakdown:
Grade A: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma.
Grade B: Renuka Thakur, Shefali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana.
Grade C: Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis.
This contract list not only rewards current form but also sets the stage for India’s cricketing roadmap, balancing experience with youthful vigor for upcoming challenges.