The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reviewing its central contracts after star pacer Jasprit Bumrah saw his annual pay drop by ₹2 crore. This happened after the board removed the A+ grade, the top-tier retainership that previously rewarded all-format players like Bumrah with ₹7 crore.
With the A+ tier gone, Bumrah was moved to Grade A, which carries a ₹5 crore retainer. While players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja are scaling back their formats or retiring, Bumrah remains a consistent performer across all formats, making the pay cut feel unfair to many within the cricketing community.
Sources say the BCCI is considering ways to compensate Bumrah, either by revising the contract structure or adding bonuses, to ensure top performers aren’t penalized for system changes.
The overhaul also affected other senior players, aligning retainerships with current workload rather than past achievements. But with fans and experts noticing Bumrah’s pay drop, the board is under pressure to act before the 2025‑26 cycle fully kicks in.
This move highlights the challenge of balancing fairness with workload-based pay in Indian cricket’s evolving contract system.
Also Read: SC allows maternity leave for all adoptive mothers
