The BCCI has announced its central contracts for the 2024–25 season, and they include a mix of expected names, some surprises, and a few great comeback stories. At the top, there are no changes: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja stay in the Grade A+ group. These four are still key players for India, even though Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja have stepped away from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.

One big name missing is R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year. His name being removed from the top group is the only major change there. One of the most inspiring stories this year is Rishabh Pant's return to Grade A. Just over a year ago, Pant was recovering from a serious car accident. He missed more than a year of cricket and was dropped from Grade A to Grade B.

But in IPL 2024 and after, Pant made a strong comeback. He played 10 Test matches, 1 ODI, and 10 T20Is. His return shows his strong will, good form, and the trust the team has in him. Now, he is back in Grade A, joining Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Hardik Pandya.

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were dropped from the contracts list last year. It wasn’t just because of poor performance they were also criticized for not playing domestic cricket. Kishan skipped Ranji Trophy to play in a T20 tournament, and Iyer said he had back pain but didn’t make himself available for his state team. The BCCI was clear: if you don’t play domestic cricket when you’re free, you won’t get support.

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But both players worked hard. Iyer had a great season. he led KKR to an IPL win, won the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Mumbai, and did well in India’s Champions Trophy win. He is now back in Grade B with Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Kishan has also returned to Grade C after a strong season with Jharkhand.

New Beginnings for Some, Harsh Exits for Others

Seven new players have received central contracts, all in Grade C. These are Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Abhishek Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana. They have done well in domestic cricket and IPL, and this shows that India is preparing a strong bench for the future.

Not everyone got good news. Shardul Thakur, KS Bharat, Jitesh Sharma, Avesh Khan, and some others have been dropped. Some were not in good form. Others, like Avesh Khan, did well in T20Is and IPL but still lost their place. Avesh last played for India in November 2024 and has taken 27 wickets in 25 T20Is. But with many new options, he has been left out this time.

What These Contracts Mean

The BCCI has not officially announced the salary amounts, but reports say the payments are the same as last year:

• Grade A+: ₹7 crore
• Grade A: ₹5 crore
• Grade B: ₹3 crore
• Grade C: ₹1 crore

These numbers are not just about money, they show how much the team trusts a player and how important they are for the future.

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Full List of 2024–25 BCCI Central Contracts

• Grade A+: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja

• Grade A: Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya

• Grade B: Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal

• Grade C: Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana

New Names: Iyer, Kishan, Jurel, Sarfaraz, Abhishek, Nitish, Akash, Varun, Harshit
Out: Ashwin (retired), Thakur, Jitesh, Bharat, Avesh, Umran, Vyshak, Yash Dayal, Kaverappa
Promoted: Rishabh Pant (B to A)
Retired: R Ashwin

The BCCI has sent a clear message: If you perform well and respect domestic cricket, your place in Indian cricket is never lost. These contracts are more than just a list. They show who the board trusts and who the future stars might be.