Three New Faces Set To Make Their Debut In BCCI's Central Contract - Report

Rohit and Virat will continue in the A+ category even after retiring from T20Is.

Ishan Kishan, who was dropped alongside Shreyas Iyer last year, remains out of BCCI's central contract list.

Source : PTI

Despite retiring from T20Is, Indian cricket icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will continue to hold their A+ grade BCCI central contracts, worth Rs 7 crore annually, ANI reported. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, who was India's top scorer in the recent Champions Trophy, is set to regain his place in the central contract list.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid farewell to T20Is on a high note after leading India to their first ICC trophy in over a decade, lifting the T20 World Cup in Barbados last year.

"Rohit and Virat will continue in the A+ category even after retiring from T20Is. They are legendary players and will be given the respect they deserve," a BCCI source confirmed to ANI.

Ishan Kishan left waiting, Axar Patel in line for promotion

As per the ANI report, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who was dropped alongside Shreyas Iyer last year, remains out of BCCI's central contract list. In contrast, all-rounder Axar Patel, who played a major role in India's T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs, is a strong contender for a contract upgrade.

Also, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Abhishek Sharma, who have impressed with their performances over the past year, are in contention for their first-ever central contract.

BCCI's contract finalization & England Tour selection

Last week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the annual contracts for the senior women's team for the 2024/25 season.

Meanwhile, a scheduled meeting between men’s selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati - meant to finalize the men's central contracts and squads for the upcoming England tour - was postponed.

Following the IPL, India will face England in a five-match Test series starting June 20 at Headingley. This will be India's first Test series since their 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the team aiming to secure their first Test series win in England since 2007.