Ishan Kishan, part of the T20 WC 2026, was left out of BCCI’s 2025-26 central contracts for missing required international matches in 2024–early 2025. Exclusion wasn’t due to form; he now aims to secure his spot with a strong World Cup showing.
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was surprisingly excluded from the BCCI’s central contracts list for players despite being part of the Men in Blue’s campaign at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced new annual retainership for the period 2025-26.
The new central contracts for the players were finalised after the BCCI’s apex council meeting, which took place at the board’s headquarters in Mumbai. The annual retainership for 2025-26 saw the removal of the A+ grade, which was the highest tier for the elite all-format players, resulting in Grade A now being the top category for centrally contracted cricketers, followed by B and C based on performance, consistency, and involvement across formats.
The annual retainership witnessed the demotion of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to Grade B as they are one-format players following retirements from Tests and T20Is, while Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah were awarded Grade A contracts. However, the contracts list for players did not have the likes of Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Shami, and Sarfaraz Khan.
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Ishan Kishan’s Surprise Exclusion
Ishan Kishan made his return to International cricket after a gap of two years in the T20I series against New Zealand, where he had an impressive outing, amassing 215 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18 in 4 matches. His selection was based on his performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 517 runs, including two centuries and as many fifties, at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32 in 10 matches.
In 2024, Ishan Kishan was removed from the central contracts list for players after he did not adhere to the BCCI’s directive to play domestic cricket. The Jharkhand cricketer was out of the selectors' radar and played only domestic matches, including the Ranji Trophy. Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024.
However, Ishan Kishan made his return to the BCCI Central Contracts with Grade C retainership, amid the IPL 2025, where he was playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite being reinstated to annual retainership 2024-25 in April 2025, the southpaw had to wait for his India comeback until the T20I series against New Zealand in December that year.
Despite playing domestic cricket, as mandated by the BCCI, and making a statement in the comeback series for Team India, Ishan Kishan was still left out of the annual retainership for 2025-26, which sparked debate over his exclusion from the contracted list of players, despite his strong performances, IPL form, and international comeback.
Why was Ishan Kishan Excluded?
Ishan Kishan’s exclusion from the BCCI central contracts list for players was not based on recent performances or IPL form, but rather on the board’s emphasis on participation in domestic cricket and consistent availability during the evaluation period.
The players retained in the central contracts were those who had consistently performed in domestic cricket and remained available for national selection across formats in 2024 and early 2025, meeting the criteria such as playing a stipulated number of international matches, including 3 Test matches, 10 T20Is, and 8 ODIs, and maintaining consistent participation and form to justify inclusion in the retainership list.
Since Ishan Kishan did not play for Team India throughout 2024 and early 2025, the southpaw failed to meet the mandatory participation criteria in international matches, which ultimately led to his exclusion from the BCCI central contracts for the 2025-26 cycle despite his strong comeback and IPL performances.
The Jharkhand captain will now focus on the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, where he was promoted as an opener in the opening match against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and aims to make a strong impact to secure his place in future central contracts, while strengthening his case for consistent selection for Team India across all formats.
