India batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s central contracts will be up for discussion during the Annual General Meeting of the BCCI’s apex council on December 22. Contracts of women players in domestic cricket will also be on the agenda.
According to a PTI report, the 31st AGM will be held virtually, where the BCCI brass will take a call on the future of Kohli and Rohit’s contracts. Both senior batters have retired from Tests and T20Is over the past year and now feature only in ODIs. In the 2024-25 cycle (October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025), they remained in the A+ category alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, despite stepping away from T20Is after India’s T20 World Cup win last June.
It remains to be seen whether Kohli and Rohit will continue in the A+ bracket for the upcoming cycle, as was the case last season due to retrospective assessment based on their Test participation, or if they will be moved down to Grade A. A demotion would mean a salary reduction of INR 2 crore from their previous retainers. The annual payouts currently stand at INR 7 crore (A+), INR 5 crore (A), INR 3 crore (B), and INR 1 crore (C).
Shubman Gill set for A+ upgrade
The report also mentioned that India’s Test and ODI captain Gill could earn a promotion to the A-plus category, alongside senior all-rounder Jadeja, who was appointed vice-captain for the last Test assignment, and Bumrah. Gill was previously part of the A category.
The meeting will also address several additional items, including a proposed revision in the remuneration structure for umpires and match referees, as well as updates related to the board’s digital platforms.
This will be the first AGM of the apex council following the administrative reshuffle within the BCCI. In September, Mithun Manhas took over as president, Raghuram Bhatt assumed the role of treasurer, and Devajit Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia were appointed as secretary and joint secretary, respectively.
The most recent board elections also brought Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah into the apex council as a councillor.