KARACHI: India’s veteran batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may be stripped of their 2025-26 central contracts by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian media reported on Thursday.
According to a report, a discussion on Kohli and Rohit’s central contracts is scheduled to take place at the BCCI’s Supreme Council on December 22.
The report added that this could be due to the senior duo’s downgrading as they will only represent the Indian men’s cricket team in the ODI format after calling time on their respective T20I careers after the 2024 World Cup, after quitting Tests earlier this year.
Notably, the BCCI awards central contracts to its elite cricketers in four divisions: A-Plus, A, B and C. The first division is reserved for India’s best all-rounders, so their current long-form captain Shubman Gill is likely to be promoted there.
Meanwhile, Rohit and Kohli, who continued in the A-plus category on central contracts for 2024-25, despite retiring from Tests and ODIs, are finally set for a demotion, along with experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Interestingly, the duo will get a deduction of INR 2 crore each from their annual salary as the current payouts are INR 7 crore (A+), INR 5 crore (A), INR 3 crore (B) and INR 1 crore (C).
The report added that the cricket board’s upcoming meeting will also discuss a number of additional points, including a proposed amendment to the pay structure for umpires and match referees, as well as updates to the BCCI’s digital platforms.