Virat Kohli (L) and Rohit Sharma© AFP
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not announced the list of central contracts for this year yet and according to a report by Dainik Jagran, it can have some big news for the senior members of the Indian cricket team. The report claimed that discussions regarding the BCCI central contracts will take place during the high-profile meeting on March 29 in Guwahati. While the India squad for the Test series against England will be top priority in the meeting, the central contracts are also reportedly on the agenda. The report further said that “the selection committee is divided about the future of some of India’s big stars” and the new list may carry surprises for the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. It added that the future of the stars will become clearer following the announcement.
Earlier, a report by Times Of India, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja may end up losing out on their Grade A+ contracts.
The report claimed that players who excel in all three formats are given preference for Grade A+ contracts and the trio’s retirement from the T20 format has complicated matters.
The report added that the central contracts are generally announced before the Indian Premier League (IPL) but the BCCI have decided to wait till the end of the Champions Trophy.
However, a good show in the Champions Trophy can mean that all three can retain the top tier of the central contracts. The only other cricketer with a Grade A+ contract is fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah but there seems to be no problems with his situation.
According to the report, Shreyas Iyer is expected to be awarded a central contract after he was ignored last year due to disciplinary issues. The batter has performed brilliantly in the Champions Trophy and his showing on the domestic circuit will certainly bolster his case.
“The board will wait for Rohit’s decision after the Champions Trophy. If by any chance he chooses to retire, then the board will see what needs to be done. One can’t discount the fact that he won the T20 World Cup in July and has led well in the Champions Trophy as well,” a source told TOI.
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