Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket earlier this month raised questions about their future in the BCCI central contracts list. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that both players will continue in the Grade A+ bracket for the 2024–25 season.
BCCI confirms status for Kohli and Rohit
According to Saikia, the board sees no need for changes in their contract status.
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Grade A+ contract will continue despite their retirement from T20Is and Tests. They are still part of the Indian team and will receive all the benefits associated with A+ grade,” he told ANI.
Last month, the BCCI released its central contracts list, naming Kohli, Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja in the top A+ category.
End of an era in Test cricket
Kohli announced his Test retirement a month before India’s tour of England, which begins the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle. His record in Test cricket includes:
- 123 matches
- 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85
- 30 centuries and a top score of 254*
He ends his career as India’s fourth-highest run scorer in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
Rohit Sharma, the former Test captain, retired just days before Kohli. He finished with:
- 67 Tests
- 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57
- 12 centuries and a highest score of 212
Rohit is India’s 16th-highest Test run-getter.
Still active in ODIs and white-ball legends
Although they have stepped away from Tests and T20Is, both Rohit and Kohli are expected to continue playing in ODIs, including the 2027 World Cup.
Kohli is the highest run scorer in T20 World Cup history with 1,292 runs and is second on the all-time T20I run list with 4,188 runs.
Rohit remains the top run scorer in T20Is with 4,231 runs and holds the record for most centuries in the format with five.
Their continued presence in the A+ grade signals BCCI’s recognition of their value in the 50-over format and their contribution to Indian cricket, even as a new era begins.
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