Why Kohli and Rohit's Test retirements were never going to affect BCCI's annual contract list

Despite retirements from Tests, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will continue to be part of the Grade A+ category in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annual contracts list, it was confirmed on Wednesday. Kohli and Rohit, who quit T20Is in 2024 after winning the World Cup, retired from the Tests over the last week.

Their sudden retirements raised a pertinent question in the minds of the fans as to what would happen to their BCCI contracts. Currently, both Rohit and Kohli are part of the Grade A+ category in the BCCI annual contracts list . In the highest Grade A+ category, players are paid Rs 7 crore annually.

Kohli and Rohit to remain in BCCI’s Grade A+ contract list

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that Rohit and Kohli will continue to be part of the Grade A+ category despite retirements from two formats. “Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s grade A contract will continue despite their retirement from the T20Is and Tests. They are still part of the Indian cricket team, and they will get all the facilities of Grade A,” Devajit Saikia told ANI.

Saikia’s comments are no surprise because Rohit and Kohli have been awarded the Grade A+ contracts on the basis of their past performance . The assessment period for the 2024-25 BCCI contracts list was 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024.

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During this period, both Kohli and Rohit played all three formats, leading to Grade A+ contracts.

They, however, are certain to drop down the contracts list next year as the assessment period for the 2025-26 contracts is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.

Kohli and Rohit did play Tests after 1 October 2024, but they had already retired from T20Is.