The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will soon release the new central contracts for the Men’s Cricketers. The apex body of Indian cricket will make some concessions for the young and promising cricketers. Abhishek Sharma, who has been magnificent in the shortest format for the Men in Blue, is likely to be included in Grade C and will get an annual retainership of INR 1 crore.
As per the BCCI rules, a player who has played at least three Tests, or eight ODIs, or 10 T20Is within the specified period will be included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis. Abhishek has been a part of 17 T20Is in a specified period.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played five Tests in Australia, will join Abhishek on the list. The 21-year-old all-rounder has also competed in four T20Is. Harshit Rana is the third young player who will be rewarded by the decision-makers. He has represented India in two Tests, five ODIs, and one T20I. However, he doesn’t meet the criteria in any format, but the BCCI is ready to give a concession as he has played sufficient games for the country overall.
The new contracts will also include Varun Chakravarthy (18 T20Is and four ODIs) and Shreyas Iyer. Shreyas has been India’s best batter in the fifty-over format. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah will continue to be a part of the top A+ category, and even other grades will not see many changes.
The contracts are expected to be announced soon, and the decision has already been made.