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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the annual central contracts for the Indian men’s cricket team for the 2024–25 season, confirming that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah would continue in the elite A+ category. Despite retiring from T20Is following India’s victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja have retained their INR 7 crore annual contracts, which exclude match fees and performance bonuses.
BCCI provides clarification behind A+ contract to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja
The decision to award A+ contracts to Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja triggered discussions among followers, with many questioning how cricketers who retired from one format could still be considered automatic selections across all three formats, which is traditionally the benchmark for A+ status. With the trio officially stepping away from T20Is after lifting the World Cup in June 2024, some suggested they should be shifted to Grade A contracts instead.
Amid growing public curiosity, a senior BCCI official explained that while the contract cycle runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, the actual performance evaluation is based on the previous year’s window, from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
“The period of fresh central contract is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. But the assessment year is October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. Kohli, Rohit and Jadeja played the T20 World Cup final in June 2024 and hence at that time, they were all-format regulars. Going by that technicality, they are supposed to be in A+ category,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
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During that period, Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja were not only active but vital members of the Indian team across all three formats. They featured prominently in the T20 World Cup, played important roles in Test and ODI cricket, and hence met the essential benchmark of being regular selections across formats. By the time they announced their T20I retirements, the evaluation phase had already been completed. This technicality, the BCCI emphasized, fully justified their presence in the A+ list.
Senior trio’s continued impact on Indian cricket
Although they have stepped aside from the T20I scene, Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja remain indispensable to India’s plans in Tests and ODIs. Rohit continues to lead India with tactical sharpness and has already guided the team to further glory by winning the Champions Trophy in early 2025. Kohli remains one of the most reliable batters in high-pressure situations, particularly in ODIs, where his ability to play long innings remains unmatched.
Jadeja’s all-round capabilities with both bat and ball continue to make him a match-winner, especially in challenging overseas conditions. Even in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, all three veterans have displayed their enduring class, proving that while they may no longer feature in T20Is, their overall value to Indian cricket is undiminished.
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