Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma set to be dropped from central contract list by the BCCI - Reports 

The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) will reportedly visit the topic of central contracts as it has been included in the agenda among 11 other subjects for the upcoming Apex Council Meeting on December 21.

Team India currently have the majority of their cricketers under the contract system. There are four categories set in place - A+, A, B and C. The top-tier cricketers are included in the A+ category and are paid ₹7 crore per annum. A majority of the all-format players or Test regulars find themselves in the A and B categories which pay ₹5 crore and ₹3 crore per annum, respectively.

Cricketers who have hit a certain number of prerequisite international matches are eligible for a central contract and are usually placed along with other single-format players in the C category, which pays ₹1 crore per annum.

Leading all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is a potential candidate for captaincy in the T20 format should the board decide to adopt split captaincy, will reportedly be upgraded to a B grade contract. It is to be noted that he was demoted when the previous list came out, after largely playing as a batter in 2021.

The BCCI are strongly considering upgrading the contract status of Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill. The pair had a landmark year and are primed to play a crucial role moving forward as well.

A senior official, who is privy to the developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity:

"Surya was in Group C but his performance in the last one year warrants a promotion to Group B at least, if not A. He is currently World No. 1 in T20I ICC rankings and is a serious contender in the ODI team also."

Suryakumar Yadav amassed over 1000 runs in T20Is in 2022 and rose through the rankings as well. Shubman Gill, on the other hand, has been a regular feature in Test and ODI squads of late, meaning he could get an upgrade from the C to B category in the near future.

Ishant Sharma, who is reportedly not a part of Team India's vision, could be altogether dropped from the contract list. He has been included in the Delhi squad for the upcoming Ranji trophy.

A similar fate awaits Ajinkya Rahane, who last played a Test match during the tour of South Africa in early 2022. With the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari and even Suryakumar Yadav potentially in the mix for the No. 5 spot, Rahane's future with the national side looks bleak, which could result in his exclusion from the central contract list.

Bengal-born wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha is also expected to be omitted from the list. The senior player is no longer in consideration, with the team holding onto the duo of Rishabh Pant and KS Bharat to handle the glovework behind the stumps.

BCCI to touch upon several other subjects during the Apex Council meeting

According to the report, while the performance review of Team India at the T20 World Cup and the tour of Bangladesh has not been listed on the agenda by the BCCI, it could be invoked by a chairperson.

The BCCI are also considering making a one-time payment to V Jaydevan. The Kerala-born engineer came up with the renowned VJD method, which has been extensively used in the domestic circuit for over a decade.

Are the changes being made by the BCCI in the central contract list justified? Let us know what you think.