The Board of Control for Cricket in India is set to review its 2025–26 central contracts after scrapping the A+ category, which led to a pay cut for Jasprit Bumrah. The move has raised fairness concerns, with possible revisions also impacting players like Axar Patel.
The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) will reportedly review its 2025-26 central contracts for the players after an INR 2 crore gap emerged following the scrapping of the A+ category. In February, the BCCI announced the annual retainership list, which saw the top bracket removed due to a lack of multi-format players.
The A+ grade in the central contracts was introduced in 2017–18 to reward cricketers who were consistent performers across all three formats. From 2017–18 to 2024–25, the A+ category remained the highest pay bracket, featuring India’s top multi-format players and offering an annual retainership of INR 7 crore. The other three grades were A, B, and C, with players earning INR 5 crore, INR 3 crore, and INR 1 crore annually, respectively.
In the previous annual player retainership, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah were part of the A+ category, the highest pay bracket in the BCCI’s central contracts.
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Bumrah Hit By INR 2 Crore Pay Gap
The BCCI’s decision to scrap the A+ category directly impacted India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, reducing his annual retainership from INR 7 crore to INR 5 crore despite being an all-format player. The removal of the highest pay bracket was first recommended by the BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, to ensure a balanced pay system across players.
With the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20Is and Tests, and Ravindra Jadeja from the T20Is, Bumrah was left as the only active all-format player, leading to questions about the relevance of the A+ category. Therefore, the board decided to let go of the A+ category.
The current pay grade system consists of three categories – A, B, and C, with players earning INR 5 crore, INR 3 crore, and INR 1 crore annually, respectively. The Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah are currently placed in Grade A as per the revised pay structure, while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were demoted to Grade B, following their retirements from certain formats.
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The likes of Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Hardik Pandya have been placed in Grade A, alongside Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, reflecting their appearances in one or two formats of the game.
Moreover, Axar Patel, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson. Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel, Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Ravi Bishnoi were awarded the Grade C contract, earning an annual retainership of INR 1 crore.
‘Unfair to Slash Bumrah’s Fees’
Jasprit Bumrah was the highest earner in the BCCI central contracts under the A+ category, drawing an annual retainership of INR 7 crore before the recent restructuring. However, the slash in his earnings has reportedly raised concerns within the board, given that India’s pace spearhead continues to feature in all three formats of the game.
According to the report by Times of India (TOI), the source close to the BCCI stated that the INR 2 crore pay cut was unfair to Bumrah and that the board is exploring ways to compensate him. The source added that the board will look to revise the pay structure, as other players may have also been downgraded despite strong performance.
“The board is trying to figure out how Bumrah can be compensated. It is understandable that it would be unfair to slash his fees from Rs 7 crore to Rs 5 crore,” the BCCI source said.
“There are some other players as well who seem to have moved down a grade despite strong performances. There could be a revision in the valuation of the contracts,” he added.
Jasprit Bumrah has been an integral part of India’s bowling attack across all formats, consistently delivering match-winning performances with his pace, accuracy, and ability to perform under pressure.
In his international career so far, Bumrah has picked up 504 wickets, including 18 fifers and 14 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 20.49 and an economy rate of 3.72 in 236 matches.
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Axar Patel’s Fees Likely to be Revised
Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel’s annual fee of INR 1 crore as per the revised contract is also likely to be reconsidered, given that he is still an all-format player. The left-handed spin bowling all-rounder has been an integral part of India’s white-ball squads, playing a pivotal role in India’s title-winning campaigns at the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, 2025 Champions Trophy, and 2025 Asia Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel were recently part of the Men in Blue that successfully defended the T20 World Cup triumph, defeating New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
Axar Patel’s INR 1 crore annual retainership may be upgraded in the revised central contracts, considering his consistent performances and crucial role as an all-format player for Team India.
The BCCI is likely to revise the pay structure in order to ensure fair compensation for consistent performers and maintain balance across all player categories. However, the instatement of the A+ category remains as the board will look to evaluate whether the current pool of players justifies the return of a separate top-tier pay bracket.