Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma Dropped in BCCI 2026 Player Contracts

BCCI Annual Player Contracts: 2025-26 Season Updates

The BCCI annual player contracts for the 2025-26 season have been announced, bringing significant changes to both the men’s and women’s senior teams. Notably, former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have faced demotions, reflecting the evolving dynamics of the India cricket senior team 2025-26.

India Men’s Senior Team: Contract Grades

The A+ category has been removed for this season. Only three players made it to Grade A, including Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja, who continue to be key pillars of Team India.

Virat Kohli's demotion to Grade B surprised fans, alongside Rohit Sharma's contract update, as both former captains now join eight other players in the B category. Meanwhile, 16 players, including Axar Patel (demoted from B to C), fall under Grade C. The addition of Sai Sudharsan in Grade C marks a promising inclusion for the upcoming season. Five players have been excluded from the contract, who are Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, and a little surprising name of Ishan Kishan, who has lately found his place in the T20I side. 

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, Surya Kumar 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.

Watch: Dilon Heyliger’s splendid aerial catch dismisses Aiden Markram in SA vs CAN T20 WC 2026 clash

Annual Player Retainership: Team India Senior Women

Meanwhile, Jemimah Rodrigues has been promoted to Grade A for her recent strong performances, including in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 success. While Grade A and B have four names each in the senior women's retainership contract, Grade C has 13 names. Shreyanka Patil and Pooja Vastrakar have been excluded from the contract, who missed most of the previous season due to injuries. 

Grade A: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma

Grade B: Renuka Thakur, Shafali 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.

Key Takeaways

• BCCI annual player contracts have been reshaped for 2025-26.
• Virat Kohli's demotion and Rohit Sharma's contract update reflect changes in team hierarchy.
• Shubman Gill, a Grade A player, maintains top status along with Jasprit Bumrah retainership.
• Jemimah Rodrigues promotion and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 success highlight rising stars in women’s cricket.

FAQs:

Q1: Who were demoted in the Indian men’s senior team 2025-26?
A1: Virat Kohli's demotion and Rohit Sharma's contract update were the key changes in Grade B.

Q2: Which players made it to Grade A in the men’s team?
A2: Shubman Gill, Grade A player, Jasprit Bumrah retainership, and Ravindra Jadeja, India cricket, were in Grade A.

Q3: Who got promoted in the India women’s cricket contract?
A3: Jemimah Rodrigues promotion to Grade A was a highlight of the season.

Q4: Which women’s players were excluded from the 2025-26 contract?
A4: Shreyanka Patil and Pooja Vastrakar were excluded due to injuries.