Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma be Demoted From Their Grade A+ Contracts After T20I and Test Retirement?

Two of the stalwarts of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have recently called their time in Tests. Previously, they also announced retirement from the T20Is after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup back in June 2024.

Following their retirement in two out of the three formats of the game, Kohli and Rohit are currently set to represent India only in the ODIs. This created speculation among the fans regarding whether the duo will be demoted from their A+ grades in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annual contracts 2025-26.

Will BCCI Demote Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma?

The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has stated that hanging up their boots from two of the cricketing formats would not affect Kohli and Rohit’s annual contracts this year. They will continue to be at the top most grade alongside prime pacer Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s grade A contract will continue despite their retirement from the T20Is and Tests. They are still part of the Indian cricket team, and they will get all the facilities of Grade A ,” he said to ANI.

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Earlier, BCCI announced their annual contract for this season on April 21. Youngsters including Abhishek Sharma, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel and star Kolkata Knight Riders mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy earned their maiden BCCI contract.

Star India batter and one of the key players in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph, Shreyas Iyer, also made a comeback into the contracts alongside Ishan Kishan and Akash Deep Singh.

Kohli and Rohit in ODIs

India skipper Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli have their eyes set for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2027. After clinching it in 2011, the Men in Blue came agonisingly close to lifting the 50-over title in 2023 but stumbled in the final step. An undefeated India squad failed to defend 240 runs against Australia in Ahmedabad, as they lost the home WC final by six wickets.

The pair will be back in India blues for the ODI series against Bangladesh. The three-match 50-over series will kick off on August 17 in Dhaka.

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