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Why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma don't deserve BCCI's A+ grade central contracts

Jatin

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are only active in ODIs [Source: @BCCI/x.com]Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are only active in ODIs [Source: @BCCI/x.com]

Indian cricket is once again at a familiar crossroads where emotion collides with administration. With the BCCI’s annual central contracts set to be discussed at the upcoming AGM on December 22, one uncomfortable question has quietly crept into the conversation: do Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma deserve to be in the A+ category of the BCCI central contracts?

Let’s get one thing straight before emotions run wild. This is not about disrespect. This is not about erasing legacies. And this definitely is not about numbers on a scorecard. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are modern-day greats. Full stop.

But central contracts are not lifetime achievement awards. They are about what you offer right now. And more importantly, how many formats you turn up in. When the Board of Control for Cricket in India sits down at its AGM, sentiment can’t drive the decision. Structure has to.

That is where Kohli and Rohit fall short, not in runs, not in impact but in eligibility.

What A+ actually stands for

The A+ contract is not about being the biggest name in Indian cricket. It is about being available across formats. That is the unwritten rule that everyone inside the system knows.

A+ is for players who carry the load in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. That is why the bracket exists at the top of the pyramid. It rewards durability, versatility and year-round availability.

For years, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ticked those boxes. Even when they quit T20Is after winning the World Cup, they were still playing Tests and ODIs. Two formats were enough to justify continuity.

But now? They play only one format.

One format, one contract reality

Seven months ago, both legends called time on Test cricket within days of each other. That changed everything.

Once you step away from Tests and T20Is, you are no longer an all-format player. Simple as that. No grey area. No emotional cushion.

Right now, Kohli and Rohit are ODI-only players. Brilliant ODI players, yes. But still one-format cricketers. And the A+ category is not built for that profile.

Runs don’t rewrite contract rules

Here is where fans get defensive. “But look at their numbers in 2025.”

Fair point. The numbers are elite. Kohli averaging over 65. Rohit averaging 50. Hundreds flowing. Timing intact. Hunger still alive. But central contracts aren’t performance bonuses. They are role-based retainers.

You don’t get paid more because you score runs in fewer formats. You get paid more because you show up in all of them.

If runs alone decided grades, the contract system would collapse into chaos.

A+ is about workload, not worship

Let’s be brutally honest. Playing all three formats is brutal on the body. It demands constant travel, injury risk and workload management.

That is why A+ players earn INR 7 crore. They sacrifice more. They are always on call.

Right now, that responsibility lies with players like Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. One is India’s only all-format pacer. The other is still grinding across Tests and ODIs.

Why Shubman Gill fits the bill now

This is also why Shubman Gill is being discussed for elevation. Not because he is bigger than Kohli or Rohit. But because he is carrying all-format responsibility.

Test captain. ODI captain. T20 vice-captain. He is in the thick of everything.

That is the exact profile the A+ category is designed for.

Legacy doesn’t need protection

Here is the uncomfortable truth. A demotion from A+ to A doesn’t tarnish anything. It doesn’t erase 100s. It doesn’t rewrite history. It doesn’t make Kohli or Rohit smaller cricketers. It simply reflects where they are in their careers.

At 37 and 38, they have earned the right to choose formats. And they have chosen ODIs. That choice comes with trade-offs. 

You can’t eat the cake and keep it too. This is administration, not emotion

The BCCI’s job isn’t to protect fan sentiment. It is to run a clean system. If one-format players remain in A+, the structure loses credibility overnight.

Tomorrow, others will ask for exceptions. The ladder breaks. Accountability fades.

Contracts must reward availability, not aura.

Conclusion

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still box-office. Still match-winners. Still the heartbeat of Indian ODI cricket.

But A+ contracts aren’t about nostalgia. They are about who is carrying the Indian cricket engine every single month.

Right now, Kohli and Rohit aren’t doing that across formats. And that is okay. Legends don’t need an A+ tag to stay legends.