Mon Apr 21 12:44:55 UTC 2025: ## BCCI Announces Annual Player Contracts: Iyer, Kishan Return; Pant Promoted
**Mumbai, India** – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced its annual retainership contracts for 34 Indian players, featuring notable returns and promotions. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain in the top A+ bracket.
Several players saw significant changes in their status. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, previously dropped, rejoined the list in B and C categories respectively, following their absence last season due to alleged prioritization of the IPL over domestic cricket. Rishabh Pant’s impressive comeback after a serious accident saw him promoted to the A category, replacing the retired Ravichandran Ashwin.
The A grade, commanding ₹7 crore annually, includes Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. Category B offers ₹3 crore, while Category C provides ₹1 crore. Nine players received their first BCCI contracts, including Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Harshit Rana, all in Category C. Conversely, Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharat, and Avesh Khan were dropped from the list. Category C boasts the largest number of players, with a total of 19.
First Piper 