Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may lose their A+ BCCI contracts despite strong ODI form for the 2027 World Cup. After quitting T20Is and Tests, they are now single-format players and could be demoted, while captain Shubman Gill is set for promotion.
Indian batting stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are leaving no stone unturned to be part of India’s long-term ODI plans in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The batting duo was recently part of the ODI series against South Africa, where both put up impressive performances, reigniting the hopes of their participation in the marquee event.
Kohli was the standout performer with the bat in the South Africa ODI series, amassing 302 runs, including two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 151.00 in three matches. While Rohit aggregated 146 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 48.67 in as many matches. The former Indian captains’ performances suggested their reaffirmation to play the 2027 World Cup.
Recently, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma claimed the top two spots in the latest ICC ODI Batters’ Rankings, with the latter retaining the top spot, while the former climbed to second, highlighting their consistent form and proving they remain key figures in India’s ODI setup ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
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Ro-Ko’s BCCI Contract to be Reviewed
Though Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to perform at the highest level in ODIs, their A+ contracts will reportedly be reviewed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). As per the report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the BCCI will hold the Apex Council Meeting on December 22. This will be the first meeting since the election of new office-bearers, including Mithun Manhas as its president.
Kohli and Rohit’s future contracts are one of the main agendas at the BCCI Apex Council Meeting, alongside the review of domestic women cricketers’ contracts. India’s senior-most batters are currently in the A+ category in the BCCI Central Contracts, earning INR 7 crore annually, which is the highest in the board’s pay structure. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are also in the same category as Rohit and Kohli in the central contracts.
As per the reports, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are likely to be demoted to the A category of the BCCI central contracts, which may see them take a significant pay cut, dropping from INR 7 crore to INR 5 crore annually despite their strong ODI form. The Indian batting stalwarts have been receiving an annual income of INR 7 crore from the BCCI since the introduction of the A+ category in 2017–18, when both were first placed in the top bracket with the highest retainers.
Now, Indian batting stalwarts might see decade-long A+ dominance end when the BCCI takes the final decision on their contracts in the upcoming Apex Council Meeting on December 22.
Why Kohli, Rohit May Lose A+ Status?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s likely decision on the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s central contracts has logic, as the two Indian batting stalwarts no longer feature in the T20Is and Tests, and solely play the ODI format, intending to extend their illustrious careers till the 2027 World Cup.
Kohli and Rohit retired from the T20Is following Team India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, defeating South Africa in the final. In 2025, the veteran batters decided to call it quits from Test cricket with a week apart, with Rohit announcing first, followed by Kohli, marking the end of their illustrious red-ball journeys and limiting their participation to the 50-over format. Since their retirements
from the T20Is and Tests, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have featured exclusively in ODIs.
Given that Kohli and Rohit will feature only in this format for the remaining years of their career, they no longer fulfil the all-format benchmark for them to get retained in the A+ category of the BCCI central contracts. Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to continue in the highest bracket, with Jadeja featuring regularly in Tests and ODIs and Bumrah being India’s only all-format pacer.
While Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are likely to be demoted from the A+ to the A category, India’s Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill, is expected to be elevated to the highest bracket of the BCCI central contracts, becoming the new face of India’s all-format commitments alongside Bumrah and Jadeja.
