BCCI Annual Contracts: KL Rahul, Gill, Siraj Promoted to Grade A; Shreyas and Ishan Left Out

In the latest BCCI Annual Contracts for the senior men’s team, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Mohammed Siraj have been promoted to Grade A for the 2023/24 season. Notably, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer have been excluded from the 30-member list of players awarded contracts.

Rahul, Gill, and Siraj’s impressive performances in the Men’s ODI World Cup and Test matches have led to their promotion to Grade A, joining Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, and Hardik Pandya. Ishan and Shreyas were not considered due to various reasons.

Ishan, who took a break from cricket last year, has returned to action in the ongoing DY Patil T20 tournament. While Shreyas missed Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy due to back issues, he is set to play in the upcoming semi-final. Other notable exclusions from the central contracts list include Pujara, Dhawan, Umesh, Hooda, and Chahal.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Test series, has been included in Grade B along with Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav. Rishabh Pant, who has been out due to a car accident, finds himself in Grade B this season. Several newbies have also been included in Grade C contracts.

The Selection Committee has recommended fast-bowling contracts for certain players and clarified the criteria for inclusion in each grade based on match appearances. The contracts range from INR 7 crore for A+ to INR 1 crore for Grade C. The new contracts aim to reward players for their performances and encourage participation in domestic cricket.