In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global cricketing community, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its annual central contracts for the 2025-26 season. In a staggering departure from tradition, cricketing icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been moved from the elite 'Grade A+' category down to Grade 'B'.

For over a decade, Kohli and Sharma have been the faces of Indian cricket, commanding the highest salary bracket of ₹7 Crore (Grade A+). They will now fall into the ₹3 Crore bracket (Grade B).
Young talents such as Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a resurgent Rishabh Pant have been promoted to the top tier, signaling a definitive shift in leadership and priority.
The BCCI’s decision appears to be rooted in a "form-first" policy, prioritizing players who are consistently available across all three formats. According to internal sources at the BCCI, the selection committee and board officials are looking toward the 2027 ODI World Cup with a "transition-first" mindset.