The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the richest cricket board in the world. Hence, the salary BCCI offers to centrally contracted players is very high compared to other countries. The BCCI uses grades to determine the salaries of the cricketers. Players who play all formats are graded higher than players who play only a single or two formats.
For the 2025-26 season, the BCCI announced the Annual Player Contracts for Team India for the men’s team on February 9, 2026, and for the women’s team on the same day. In a massive overhaul, the BCCI has officially scrapped the Grade A+ category. Stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired from Test cricket in 2025 and T20Is in 2024, have been demoted to Grade B.
Shubman Gill, now the captain of the Test and ODI teams, has been promoted to Grade A, while Suryakumar Yadav remains in Grade B as the T20I captain.
We have discussed the salaries of men’s and women’s cricketers in detail in this article.
Overview Of BCCI Central Contracts
There are a total of three categories in the BCCI central contracts, ranging from 1 crore to 5 crore. Grade A+ (INR 7 Crore) was discontinued in early 2026. Here, take a quick look at BCCI central contracts:
| Grade | Salaries |
|---|---|
| Grade A | INR 5 Crores |
| Grade B | INR 3 Crores |
| Grade C | INR 1 Crore |
Indian Cricket Player Fees As Per Format
Every season, the BCCI awards central contracts to players who are part of the Indian cricket team. The 2025-26 cycle currently covers 30 men and 21 women cricketers. There are some criteria a player must fulfil to secure a central contract. To be eligible for the central contract, a player must have played at least one of the following in the preceding year:
- 3 Test Matches, or
- 8 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), or
- 10 T20 Internationals (T20Is)
The criteria and selections are reviewed annually; exclusions and promotions are subject to ongoing assessment by the BCCI selection committee. Exceptional domestic performance may lead to contract consideration, especially for players who narrowly miss the threshold or return from injury.
Indian cricket players’ salaries are categorised by the BCCI’s grading system, in which each player receives an annual salary based on their grade.
Grade A players receive INR 5 Crores, Grade B players receive INR 3 Crores, and Grade C players earn INR 1 Crore. This salary is separate from the match fees.
In addition to their grade-based salary, players earn match fees per format.
- INR 15 lakhs for each Test
- INR 6 lakhs for each ODI
- INR 3 lakhs for each T20I
Players who don’t make it to the playing XI get half of the match fee.
This way, the match fees are an extra payment on top of the base annual salary, ensuring players are compensated for each game they play. This system applies to both men’s and women’s cricket teams, with additional incentives.
Detailed Breakdown Of Indian Cricket Players Salaries By Category For The 2025-2026 Season
Here are the details of Indian Cricket Players Salaries By Category For The 2025-26 Season.
Grade A Players (INR 5 Crore)
1. Shubman Gill (Debut: 2020) –
Gill was earlier in Grade B (2022-23) before being elevated to Grade A following a prolific 2023 season, during which he scored centuries across formats and became a regular opener. He is the current captain of the Indian Test team and was recently handed the ODI captaincy.
2. Jasprit Bumrah (Debut: 2016) –
Jasprit Bumrah is the leader of the Indian pace attack. Bumrah was among the few players placed in the Grade A+ category in March 2018, when the BCCI introduced the top-tier grade for the first time.
3. Ravindra Jadeja (Debut: 2009) –
Ravindra Jadeja was promoted to the Grade A+ category in March 2023 during the BCCI’s announcement of the 2022-23 central contracts. The decision came after his Player of the Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, which cemented his position as India’s premier all-format all-rounder. Before that upgrade, Jadeja had been in Grade A for several years, consistently contributing in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Jadeja retired from T20Is after India won the T20 World Cup 2024.
Grade B Players (INR 3 Crore)
1. Rohit Sharma (Debut: 2007) –
Rohit Sharma, the former Indian captain, led the Indian team to win the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. He has announced his retirement from Test and T20I and will play in ODIs now.
2. Virat Kohli (Debut: 2008) –
Virat Kohli was first placed in the Grade A+ category in March 2018, when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced the A+ tier for the first time in its central contract structure.
3. KL Rahul (Debut: 2014) –
Rahul was first placed in Grade A by the BCCI in March 2020 under the 2019-20 central contracts, when he became an established all-format player. He was briefly in Grade B in 2022-23 but was reinstated to Grade A after gaining form and fitness late in 2023.
4. Washington Sundar (Debut: 2017) –
Washington Sundar was placed in Grade C in 2023-24 and retained in 2024-25.
5. Mohammed Siraj (Debut: 2017) –
Siraj’s consistent performances across formats, especially in ODIs and Tests (including Player of the Match performance in the 2023 Asia Cup final), earned him a promotion from Grade B to Grade A in March 2024 during the BCCI’s 2023-24 central contract cycle.
6. Hardik Pandya (Debut: 2016) –
Pandya made his international debut in 2016 and was placed in Grade A for the first time in February 2023. He was retained for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 cycles despite being a white-ball specialist.
7. Rishabh Pant (Debut: 2017) –
Pant was placed in Grade A in the 2024-25 BCCI central contracts cycle, announced in April 2025. He was promoted from Grade B following a remarkable comeback after recovering from a life-threatening accident in late 2022. Pant replaced Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in 2024.
8. Kuldeep Yadav (Debut: 2017) –
Kuldeep was promoted to Grade B from Grade C in the 2023-24 contracts cycle, following strong performance domestically and internationally.
9. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Debut: 2023) –
Yashasvi Jaiswal was awarded his maiden BCCI contract directly in Grade B for the 2023-24 season. He has delivered consistent performance as an opener in Test cricket.
10. Suryakumar Yadav (Debut: 2021) –
Suryakumar Yadav is the captain of India’s T20I team. Under him, the Indian team recently won the Asia Cup after defeating Pakistan in the final. He was first placed in Grade B starting with the 2023-24 contract cycle and retained in 2024-25.
11. Shreyas Iyer (Debut: 2017) –
Iyer was placed in Grade B in the 2023-24 cycle after returning from injury and form issues. He was dropped previously but made a comeback into Grade B. He was the leading run-scorer for India in the Champions Trophy.
Grade C Players (INR 1 Crore)
1. Axar Patel (Debut: 2014) –
Axar has been in Grade B since at least the 2023-24 season and continued in 2024-25.
2. Rinku Singh (Debut: 2023) –
Rinku Singh was placed in Grade C from the 2023-24 contract cycle and retained in 2024-25.
3. Tilak Verma (Debut: 2023) –
Tilak Verma was given a Grade C contract starting the 2023-24 season.
4. Ruturaj Gaikwad (Debut: 2021) –
Ruturaj Gaikwad was listed in Grade C since 2023-24 and retained in 2024-25.
5. Shivam Dube (Debut: 2019) –
Shivam Dube was awarded the Grade C contract starting 2023-24 and kept in 2024-25.
6. Ravi Bishnoi (Debut: 2022) –
Ravi Bishnoi received his maiden Grade C contract in 2023-24.
7. Sanju Samson (Debut: 2015) –
Sanju Samson has been in Grade C at least since the 2023-24 season.
8. Arshdeep Singh (Debut: 2022) –
Arshdeep Singh is included in Grade C starting the 2023-24 cycle.
9. Prasidh Krishna (Debut: 2021) –
Prasidh Krishna has been placed in Grade C from 2023-24.
10. Dhruv Jurel (Debut: 2024) –
Dhruv Jurel became eligible for Grade C after playing two Test matches and was placed in Grade C from the 2024-25 contracts.
11. Nitish Kumar Reddy (Debut: 2024) –
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been placed in Grade C since 2024-25.
12. Abhishek Sharma (Debut: 2024) –
Abhishek Sharma became eligible for the central contract after playing eight T20I games. Thus, he was included in Grade C for the 2024-25 cycle.
13. Akash Deep (Debut: 2024) –
Akash Deep has played more than three Test matches for India and hence, has been given a Grade C contract for the 2023-24 season.
14. Varun Chakaravarthy (Debut: 2021) –
Varun Chakaravarthy made his T20I debut in 2021 but was dropped from the side. He returned to the side in 2024 and was given a Grade C contract for 2024-25.
15. Harshit Rana (Debut: 2024) –
Harshit Rana has played all formats for India since making his debut in 2024. He was listed in Grade C for the 2024-25 season.
Indian Cricket Players – Additional Earnings
A player has many other sources of income beyond their central contract, including brand deals. Also, players receive specific match fees for each match played, independent of their annual contract. The BCCI offers INR 15 lakh for each Test, INR 6 lakh for each ODI, and INR 3 lakh for each T20I.
These fees apply only to players in the playing XI, while those not playing receive half the amount.
The BCCI also introduced a Test Cricket Incentive Scheme to encourage consistent Test performance. This incentive structure adds to players’ incomes based on the number of Tests played in a season.
| Number of Tests Played | Incentive per Match (Playing) | Incentive per Match (Non-playing) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 6 Tests | INR 30 lakh | INR 15 lakh |
| 7 or more Tests | INR 45 lakh | INR 22.5 lakh |
Finally, cricketers boost their income significantly through the IPL and other leagues, with player contracts independently negotiated. Brand endorsements and sponsorship deals further enhance earnings.
Does The Indian Women’s Cricket Team Get The Same Salary?
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team receives the same per-match fees as the men’s team across all formats.
Grade A (INR 50 Lakh)
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Smriti Mandhana
- Deepti Sharma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
Grade B (INR 30 Lakh)
- Renuka Thakur
- Sneh Rana
- Richa Ghosh
- Shafali Verma
Grade C (INR 10 Lakh)
- Radha Yadav
- Amanjot Kaur
- Pratika Rawal
- Kranti Gaud
- Uma Chetry
- Arundhati Reddy
- Sree Charani
- Yastika Bhatia
- Harleen Deol
- Kashvee Gautam
- G Kamalini
- Vaishnavi Sharma
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Conclusion: Indian Cricket Players’ Salaries Are Divided Into Three Categories
A cricketer with a central contract, whether male or female, has a great chance to earn a decent amount of money by playing for India. Apart from the central contract, a player also receives per-match fees.
Players who do well in domestic cricket have a chance to play for India and secure a central contract. The IPL and WPL also help these players earn additional income beyond their central contracts and match fees. Players receive brand deals and endorsements based on their performance.
BCCI announces the annual retainership, and players who do well at the domestic level have a chance to earn the contract. Someone like Sai Sudharsan, who has played more than three Tests for India this season, is eligible for a central contract, and his name will surely be there once the BCCI releases the annual retainership list.
FAQs
The BCCI has three salary grades for centrally contracted players: Grade A (INR 5 Crores), Grade B (INR 3 Crores), and Grade C (INR 1 Crore). These grades reflect the player’s importance and participation across formats.
Grade A players INR 5 Crores, Grade B players INR 3 Crores, and Grade C players INR 1 Crore annually through their retainers. This salary is exclusive of match fees.
To be eligible, a player must have played at least 3 Tests, or 8 ODIs, or 10 T20Is in the previous year. Selection is reviewed annually by the BCCI committee, taking into account performance, fitness, and domestic contributions.
Players receive match fees on top of their salaries: INR 15 lakhs for Tests, INR 6 lakhs for ODIs, and INR 3 lakhs for T20Is. Players in the playing XI receive full match fees; those not playing receive half.
BCCI has officially scrapped the Grade A+ category. The highest salary bracket is now Grade A, which features only three players: Shubman Gill (Test and ODI captain), Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Yes, Indian women cricketers receive the same per-match fees as the men’s team across formats. Their annual retainer contracts are similarly graded into Grade A, B, and C, with corresponding salaries scaled accordingly.
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