What is BCCI Central Contract? Salary, Grades, and Perks Explained

The Cricket Control Council of India (BCCI) provides the annual central contract for Indian cricketers to ensure financial stability and reward performance.

These contracts are divided into four grades: A+ (Rs 7 crore per year), A (Rs 5 crore per year), B (Rs 3 crore per year) and C (Rs 1 crore per year).

Players are classified based on their performance, consistency and contribution to the team. In the 2024-25 season, top players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were all included in the Class A+ category.

In addition to annual salary, players also earn match fees – test matches of Rs 1.5 lakh, ODI’s Rs 6 lakh, T20IS’s Rs 3 lakh.

These contracts come with additional privileges such as bonuses and endorsements. Furthermore, whenever they do not perform domestic responsibilities, the signed players must participate in domestic cricket, which will help strengthen Indian cricket at all levels.

What is the BCCI central contract?

The Council of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) provides annual central contracts for senior male cricketers, which are divided into four grades based on performance and contribution:

  • A+: Rs 7 crore per year
  • Class A: Rs 50 crore per year
  • Grade B: Rs 3 crore per year
  • C: Rs 1 crore per year
  • Qualification criteria: To qualify for a central contract, a player must participate in at least 3 Test matches, 8 one-day international (ODI) or 10 Twenty20 international (T20IS).
  • Benefits: Players under a central contract will receive benefits such as free recovery at the National Cricket Academy, travel reimbursement, and access to world-class training facilities.
  • Match Cost: Separated from the retention fee, players earn match costs for each match in each match:
    • Test: Rs 1.5 lakh
    • ODI: Rs 6 lakh
    • T20I: Rs 3 lakh

Purpose and impact

The central contract system ensures the financial stability of players, incentivizes performance, and emphasizes the importance of domestic cricket participation. It also helps maintain structured avenues for talent retention and development within the Indian cricket ecosystem.

Recent developments

In recent news, Shreyas Iyer is expected to return to the central contract list after performing well in the championship trophy and domestic cricket matches. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will retain their A+ contracts despite retirement from T20I cricket.

What are the benefits of players under the BCCI Central contract?

Players under the BCCI Central Contract receive several gains beyond their monetary compensation. Here are some key benefits:

  • Currency compensation: The annual retainer of Rs 7 crore, Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively divides the players into four grades: A+, A, B and C respectively. They also earn match fees for each match: Rs 1.5 lakh test, Rs 6 lakh for ODI, Rs 3 lakh for T20IS.
  • Rewards and Incentives: Excellent performances can lead to bonuses and awards that motivate players to stand out.
  • Medical Benefits: Centrally signed players will receive medical insurance and can recover from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
  • Training Facilities: State-of-the-art training facilities at the Centre of Excellence in Bangalore.
  • Travel allowance: Players will receive travel reimbursement for travel.
  • NOC of the Foreign League: Players must obtain a certificate of no objection (NOC) from BCCI to participate in the Foreign League.

These benefits ensure that the contracted players are fully supported financially and cricket development.

How many players are currently under the BCCI Central Contract?

Starting from the 2023-24 season, a total of 30 players have won BCCI Central contracts. However, the exact figures for the upcoming season (2024-25) have not been officially announced.

BCCI is expected to release a new list in April 2025, which could include the return of Shreyas Iyer and changes for new players like Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abhishek Sharma.

Here is the breakdown of players last season:

  • A+: 4 players (Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja)
  • Grade A: 6 players (R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Kl Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya)
  • Grade B: 5 players (Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal)
  • Grade C: 15 players (Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel).
  • Note: Due to the inclusion of other players, the C-level list contains more than the initially specified numbers.

Why is BCCI central contract important for Indian cricket?

The BCCI central contract is crucial for Indian cricket because it has a variety of uses to strengthen the sport at home and abroad. This is an important key reason:

1. The financial security of the players

The contract ensures the player’s financial stability through annual retainers, game fees, bonuses and other allowances. This allows players to focus on their own games without having to worry about currency issues, thus promoting a professional environment.

2. Encourage domestic cricket

BCCI requires players signed by the central government to participate in domestic red ball cricket, such as the Ranji Trophy. This directive helps maintain the sanctity of test cricket, enhances player readiness in the longest format, and enhances India’s domestic cricket ecosystem.

3. Talent development

By requiring players to prove themselves in domestic competitions, the contract system ensures that grassroots talents are cultivated and serve as feeder lines for the national team. It emphasizes that performance is the key criterion for making selection.

4. Structured player management

Grading systems (A+, A, B, C) motivate consistent performance and provide clear pathways for promotion or downgrade based on form and contribution. This structure prompts players to maintain high standards.

5. Balance IPL and national commitments

BCCI uses the contract system to ensure that participants prioritize international and domestic commitments over IPL participation when necessary. This helps to balance the business league and national cricket.

6. Injury management and support

The contracted players benefit from medical assistance, rehabilitation from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and transparent fitness updates from the board. This ensures that they are healthy and prepared for international competitions.

7. Keep Test Cricket

Forced participation in red ball domestic cricket reflects BCCI’s commitment to test cricket as a cornerstone of Indian cricket legacy.