The IPL season is in full swing, and fans across India are going gaga over their favorite cricketers. But have you ever wondered how much these players actually earn for playing in the league?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the central contracts for the 2025-26 season on April 21, 2025, confirming the annual retainerships for 34 Indian cricketers. The list, effective from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, sees captain Rohit Sharma and batting maestro Virat Kohli maintaining their spots in the elite A+ category, each drawing an annual salary of ₹7 crore.
Contract Grades and Salaries
The BCCI central contracts are divided into four grades based on players’ performances and participation across formats:
| Grade | Annual Salary (INR) | Notable Players |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | ₹7 crore | Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja |
| A | ₹5 crore | Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant (promoted) |
| B | ₹3 crore | Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (returnee) |
| C | ₹1 crore | Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (returnee), and others |
Highlights
- Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to command the highest pay bracket despite their retirement from T20 internationals, reflecting their ongoing importance in Tests and ODIs.
- Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have made a notable return to the central contracts list after being excluded last year due to limited domestic appearances and disciplinary issues. Iyer has been awarded a Grade B contract, while Kishan is in Grade C.
- Rishabh Pant has been promoted from Grade B to Grade A, replacing the retired Ravichandran Ashwin.
- New entrants such as Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, and Akash Deep have been awarded contracts, recognizing their recent contributions across formats.
- Players like Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, and KS Bharat have been excluded from this year’s list.
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