India men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and national selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar are set to meet BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati on Saturday to discuss the overdue central contracts for the ongoing cycle. This meeting follows the BCCI‘s recent announcement of the annual retainer for women, just days after reports highlighted that the central contracts for men were yet to be finalized despite half of the 2024-25 cycle having passed.
Saikia and Agarkar had briefly discussed the matter on the sidelines of the IPL’s opening ceremony in Kolkata last week. However, with Gambhir away on a family vacation, a formal meeting was scheduled for Guwahati, Saikia’s hometown, where Agarkar is set to attend an IPL match over the weekend.
Among the key decisions to be made is whether to retain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the top contract bracket. Despite their retirement from T20Is and uncertainty surrounding Rohit’s Test future, both players are expected to remain in the top tier, given their significant contributions in limited-overs cricket. A similar precedent was set with MS Dhoni, who retained his top-tier contract despite limited international appearances.
Another major decision will be Shreyas Iyer’s contract status. After being omitted in the previous cycle alongside Ishan Kishan for skipping domestic cricket, Shreyas is now set to be reinstated. His role in India’s recent Champions Trophy success strengthens his case for re-induction, though his contract bracket remains uncertain as he is a regular in only one format.
Discussions may also extend to the composition of India and India A squads for the upcoming England tours post-IPL. However, no changes are expected in the retainership amounts from the previous cycle. The BCCI had structured contracts into four categories for 2023-24, with Grade A+ players earning ₹7 crore, Grade A receiving ₹5 crore, Grade B at ₹3 crore, and Grade C at ₹1 crore, covering the period from October 2023 to September 2024.
