BCCI central contracts 2023-24: All you need to know

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday, February 28, announced the central contracts for the 2023-24 season for the senior men’s cricket team. The contracts are applicable for the period October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

Every year, the BCCI reviews the performance of players and hands out central contracts to cricketers based on the same. The annual player retainership features four categories, with Grade A+ being the highest and Grade C being the lowest.

As was being widely speculated over the last few days, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been omitted from the latest BCCI central contracts list. Both players failed to turn out for their respective teams in the Ranji Trophy 2024 despite the Indian cricket board’s instructions that centrally contracted players must play the domestic tournament if they are fit and are not featuring in international cricket.

“The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team,” the BCCI release on central contracts for 2023-24 stated.

Here’s a detailed look at the important aspects of BCCI central contracts 2023-24.

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How many players feature in the top Grade A+ category?

Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli have retained their Grade A+ contracts. (Pic: Getty Images)

There are only four players who are part of the Grade A+ category. The list features Indian captain Rohit Sharma, senior batter Virat Kohli, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The same four players were part of the Grade A+ category in the previous BCCI central contracts list as well.

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Who are the players who have been promoted and demoted?

Pacer Mohammed Siraj, who was in the Grade B category in the previous contracts list, has been promoted to Grade A. The right-arm pacer has come up with some excellent performances across formats for Team India over the last 12 months.

Batters Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who were in Grade B last time have also moved up to Grade A. Both players have been instrumental in India’s consistent run in international cricket over the last year or so.

Rahul has even kept wickets for India, while Gill has batted at No. 3 in Tests to give flexibility to the batting line-up. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has also been rewarded for his impactful performances, getting a promotion from Grade C to Grade B.

Among players who have been demoted in the BCCI central contracts 2023-24 list, all-rounder Axar Patel has been moved down from Grade A to Grade B. Keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who hasn’t played for India since his horrific car accident in December 2022, has also come down from Grade A to Grade B.

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Who are the prominent names who have been omitted from the BCCI central contracts 2023-24 list?

If we compare the BCCI central contracts 2023-24 list with the one from last year, it can be seen that several big names have been omitted. Apart from Kishan and Shreyas, there is no place for veteran batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan, pacer Umesh Yadav, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and inconsistent batter Deepak Hooda.

Pujara was part of Grade B last year, while Dhawan, Umesh, Chahal, and Hooda were part of Grade C in the BCCI central contracts 2022-23 contracts list. While it seems like the end of the road for Pujara, Umesh, and Dhawan, leggie Chahal might still find a way back if he has an impressive Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Hooda’s omission isn’t surprising as he failed to grab his opportunities when the senior players were either injured or rested.

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Who are the new players in the latest BCCI contracts list?

Yashasvi Jaiswal has made a spectacular start to his international career. (Pic: Getty Images)

Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has made a sensational start to his international career, has been rewarded with a Grade B contract for 2023-24.

Several young players who have impressed while playing for India recently have been handed Grade C contracts for 2023-24. The list includes Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.

From last year’s list, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, and KS Bharat have retained their Grade C annual contracts.

The BCCI press release on central contracts stated that:

“Additionally, athletes who meet the criteria of playing a minimum of 3 Tests or 8 ODIs or 10 T20Is within the specified period will automatically be included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis. For instance, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan, having played 2 Test matches so far, will be inducted into Grade C if they participate in the Dharamsala Test Match, i.e., the 5th Test of the ongoing series against England.”

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What is the fee structure for BCCI central contracts 2023-24 as per grades?

The BCCI has not released the pay structure while announcing the central contracts for 2023-24. For the 2022-23 season, the payment structure was as follows:

Grade A +: ₹7 crore

Grade A: ₹5 crore

Grade B: ₹3 crore

Grade C: ₹1 crore

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What are fast bowling contracts?

While announcing the annual player retainer-ship for 2023-24, BCCI stated in its press release:

“The Selection Committee has also recommended Fast Bowling contracts for the following athletes -Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa.”

This is something new in the BCCI’s annual contracts list. However, according to a report by the news agency PTI, the system has been in place since 2021-22, but it is the first time that the BCCI has officially released the names of players.

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BCCI central contracts 2023-24: Player list as per grades

Mohammed Siraj has received a well-deserved promotion. (Pic: Getty Images)

Below is a look at the grade-wide division for cricketers who have been handed central contracts for the 2023-24 season.

Grade A+: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.

Grade A: Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya.

Grade B: Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Grade C: Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Rajat Patidar.