BCCI is set to introduce the fresh central contracts for the upcoming cricket season. Although the apex body of Indian cricket is yet to name the list, it is likely that the elusive contract updates will be named soon.
While most of the names in the list are expected to remain the same, a few emerging players might make their way into the list, even if they don’t fully meet the criteria for central retainership. There are not many expected changes in the A+ category, a few promising young players may join the ranks in Grade C.
Four New Players Likely to get BCCI Central Contract
1. Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma, the talented left-handed batter from Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, is expected to make it into Grade C of the central contracts. This grade guarantees an annual retainership of INR 1 crore. Abhishek has played 17 T20Is, with 12 of them falling within the eligible period (October to September), meeting the BCCI’s criteria for Grade C.
2. Nitish Reddy
Nitish Reddy, the 21-year-old all-rounder from Andhra, is also in line to be included in the central contracts. He has played five Tests and four T20Is, making him eligible for the list due to his Test appearances. Notably, he was part of all five Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
3. Harshit Rana
Harshit Rana, who has played two Tests, five ODIs, and one T20I, is also expected to be included in the list. While he doesn’t meet the individual format criteria (three Tests, eight ODIs, or 10 T20Is), his cumulative appearances across formats should qualify him for central retainership.
4. Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy, with four ODIs and 18 T20Is, should be included in the contracts list as well. His consistent performances in the shorter formats of the game have earned him a spot in the central contract group.
Apart from that, Shreyas Iyer is also likely to be reinstated into the contract system. The Punjab Kings captain was left out from the last one.
Big Names Staying in A+ Category
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to remain in the A+ category. These players are set to continue with the highest grade, and it is unlikely that there will be many changes among the top players.