The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has deferred Saturday’s proposed meeting in Guwahati. The meeting was scheduled to finalise the annual central contracts for men’s cricketers. Alongside the contracts, discussions were also likely to cover a reshuffle in support staff and preparations for India’s upcoming Test tour of England.

The BCCI had recently announced annual retainers for women cricketers, but is yet to come out with the men’s contracts despite half of the cycle being over. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and chief selector Ajit Agarkar briefly discussed the issue during the IPL opener in Kolkata, but with head coach Gautam Gambhir away on a family vacation, the final decision was deferred to this proposed meeting, scheduled ahead of the March 30 IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in the city.

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Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the previous contract cycle for skipping domestic cricket, is expected to be reinstated, though his grading remains uncertain. Reliable sources suggest that Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy — both standout performers in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph — are poised for inclusion in the upcoming central contracts list. They are likely to be joined by promising youngsters like opener Abhishek Sharma and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Iyer, who along with stumper Ishan Kishan was left out of the 2023-24 contract list, made a strong comeback. He emerged as the highest run-scorer in the Champions Trophy and also captained Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title last season. Currently leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, Iyer could even be considered for a top-category contract.

In contrast, Ishan Kishan’s inclusion remains uncertain. Although he has since adhered to domestic cricket mandates, his prolonged absence from international fixtures could affect his prospects in the new contract cycle.

RoKo, Jadeja, Bumrah set to continue in Grade A+

Among the others, India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, batting stalwart Virat Kohli, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are expected to retain their spots in the A+ category. The trio, who have retired from T20 cricket after the T20 World Cup win in 2024, will continue alongside pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the highest contract bracket.

Axar Patel likely to be promoted

All-rounder Axar Patel, the vice-captain of India’s T20 team, could see an upgrade from Grade B to Grade A. His consistent performances across formats have strengthened his case for a better contract.

New additions

Three new cricketers — Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy — are likely to be included in the annual central contracts, based on their performances at the top level.

Under the BCCI’s grading structure, Grade A players receive ₹5 crore, Grade B ₹3 crore, and Grade C ₹1 crore annually. To qualify for a central contract, players must feature in at least three

Tests, eight ODIs, or 10 T20Is in a calendar year.

Support staff shake-pp on the cards

Another key area of focus is to address the bloated national team support staff, especially in light of India’s poor recent performances in the Test arena. After a 3-0 home whitewash to New Zealand and a 3-1 defeat in Australia, ending India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy dominance, criticism has mounted over the current setup.

Ever since Gambhir took charge of the team, he brought in his long-time associates from IPL franchises, former Mumbai all-rounder Nayar and former Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches, besides hiring Morne Morkel as the bowling coach. Gambhir, who was previously mentor of the KKR’s title winning season in 2024, had both Nayar and ten Doeschate as part of the support staff, while Morkel was associated with the former India opener during his stint as team mentor of Lucknow SuperGiants.

Despite the revamped coaching lineup, India has lost six Tests under their watch, derailing hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final. The BCCI also appointed National Cricket Academy (NCA) and India A coach Sitanshu Kotak as the batting coach.

Meanwhile, fielding coach T Dilip, the only member retained from former head coach Rahul David’s tenure, could also be under scrutiny.

Additionally, the Indian team has “three throwdown specialists, two massage therapists, a senior and a junior physiotherapist, a team doctor, a security and operations manager, a computer analyst, and a few logistical and media managers”.

It remains to be seen how many of those individuals are relieved before India travel to England.

England tour preparation

To ensure optimal preparation for the crucial five-Test series in England, the BCCI is encouraging senior players to feature in India A’s warm-up matches against the England Lions. The matches are scheduled for May 30 and June 6, ahead of the first Test on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom had underwhelming performances during the Australia tour, may be asked to play in these games to adapt to English conditions.