In a significant development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the list of players who will be awarded central contracts for the 2024-25 season. This announcement comes as part of the annual retention system, which defines the remuneration and retainership status of players for the period from October 2024 to September 2025. A total of 34 players have been included in the annual retainership list across four categories (Grade A+, A, B, and C).

The top grade (A+) features the country's leading stars, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja. This category sees no changes, retaining some of the most experienced and successful players in India's recent cricketing history. The BCCI's choice to keep these names in the top category is a recognition of their consistency, leadership, and performance in all formats of the game.

Grade A has seen Rishabh Pant promoted from Grade B, following his impactful performances. Pant’s rise to Grade A marks his growing importance in the Indian team setup, and his consistent performances across formats have solidified his place among the elite players of Indian cricket. Joining Pant in Grade A are Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Shami, all of whom have been regular fixtures in India's playing XI.

Grade B sees the return of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, both of whom had fallen out of the central contracts list in previous years but returned after strong performances in domestic cricket and international competitions. Iyer, in particular, has been a standout performer for India in the ODI format, leading the Punjab Kings in the IPL and excelling in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which led to his return to the central contract fold. Ishan Kishan, while not playing for India since November 2023, has made a mark in domestic cricket and IPL, where he scored a century in the 2025 IPL season. These performances seem to have earned him a spot in Grade C alongside other promising players like Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson.

This season's central contracts also include new entrants such as Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana, all of whom represented India in various formats in the last year. Notably, Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been regulars in the Test team, while Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana made their mark in T20Is and ODIs, respectively, further showcasing the BCCI's emphasis on players across all formats.

On the flip side, R Ashwin, the seasoned veteran, has been dropped from the central contract list, following his retirement from international cricket after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024. Similarly, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, and KS Bharat were not included in the 2024-25 contracts, signaling the end of their recent retainership.

List of players and grade categories:
 Grade A+: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja Grade A: Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant Grade B: Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Axar Patel Grade C: Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, Mukesh Kumar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar.
 This comprehensive list of players reflects the evolving landscape of Indian cricket, with new talent emerging and established stars reaffirming their positions. The BCCI's annual contract system helps to recognize the contributions of these players, with a clear focus on maintaining a strong and competitive Indian team across formats. The upcoming 2024-25 season promises to be another exciting chapter in the journey of Indian cricket, with a balanced mix of experience and youth in the central contract system.

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