The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made news when it last declared central contracts for the men's team, particularly leaving out Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan even though they attended the 2023 World Cup.
They were left out because of their refusal to obey the board's insistence that they join domestic cricket. With selection chairman Ajit Agarkar being adamant, BCCI was not in doubt about removing them from the list of contracts.
With contract renewals looming yet again, this is likely to be the modus operandi, if not more stringent one. While it is likely Iyer will see his contract, Kishan's fate will be uncertain.
The central contracts may face more changes when the selection panel makes its pick, according to a report on Dainik Jagran. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar, newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia will meet on March 29 in Guwahati. The main agenda of the meeting will be to finalize India's likely squad for the England tour after the IPL. The stakeholders are also likely to seal the central contracts of the men's team. This comes after the women's team contracts were announced recently.
The report also indicates an internal dilemma over the futures of some of India's largest cricketing talents. No individual names were quoted, but the mention seems to be towards skipper Rohit Sharma, seasoned batter Virat Kohli, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. At present, the three players are on A+ contracts, usually reserved for the ones playing for India in all formats. But with Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja having retired from T20Is, a downgrade to the A category would make sense.
Also, PTI news agency stated that the selectors are still undecided on Rohit's automatic selection as captain. There are still doubts about Jasprit Bumrah's fitness, as well as the lack of a definite leadership replacement from the next generation. Rohit was questioned about his performances, particularly after losing 1-3 against Australia in Dubai. But his campaign in the UAE has given him some respite.
All the same, the most important question is whether or not the selectors will consider his ODI success when judging his overall performance in the Test format, where his recent records have not been as good. Kohli himself has not fared well in red-ball cricket. The Jagran report indicates that senior BCCI officials have already informed the selection committee of reconsidering central contracts for Kohli and Rohit, considering that their future in Test cricket hangs in doubt.
Several Changes in Central Contracts: New Entrants Confirmed
Of those likely to hold on to their A+ contracts, only Bumrah seems certain. ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill, who had been in the A category, could receive a promotion, and Yashasvi Jaiswal may also make the corresponding move from B to A. Another contender for a B to A promotion is all-rounder Axar Patel.
At the same time, there are new stars Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, and Abhishek Sharma who got into the C category, requiring at least three Test matches, eight ODIs, or ten T20Is during the designated timeframe. Still, Ruturaj Gaikwad's position in the category is shaky, as the last time he played for India was in July 2024.
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