BCCI announces 2024-2025 central contracts: Rishabh Pant promoted, Iyer and Kishan return

After months of speculation and scrutiny, the BCCI has unveiled its revised central contracts and the decisions are already sparking conversation. In a striking reversal, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have made their way back into the fold after being dropped for prioritising IPL over domestic commitments. Their return signals a possible shift in the board’s stance on player autonomy.

The BCCI’s central contracts for the 2024-2025 season reflect notable changes across all categories. Grade A+ remains unchanged with the stalwarts—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja — with Bumrah being the only one currently active across all formats. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant’s promotion to Grade A is a nod to his resilience and strong comeback post-injury, solidifying his position as one of Indian cricket’s most vital players. Alongside Pant, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya are also in Grade A. Grade B includes Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Category C has seen the most significant changes. Players who were part of this category last season —Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharath, and Avesh Khan— have been completely excluded from the list. On the flip side, new faces like Nitish Reddy, Abhishek Sharma and Harshit Rana have earned a spot. This category now includes familiar names such as Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Ishan Kishan, and Varun Chakaravarthy. In another shift, Akash Deep, who previously had a fast-bowling contract, has been promoted and placed in this category with a central contract.

Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharath, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have been excluded. While, R Ashwin has officially retired from the central contract list.