The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exploring ways to compensate Jasprit Bumrah after a ₹2 crore gap emerged following the board’s decision to scrap the A+ category from the annual players’ retainership system. According to a report in The Times of India, the board is now likely to revisit the valuation structure to ensure that consistent performers are fairly rewarded.
The A+ category was removed due to a lack of multi-format players who could justify the top pay grade. That decision directly impacted Bumrah, who had been a permanent fixture in the highest bracket since the 2018–19 season. While the BCCI is yet to officially disclose the revised contract values, under the previous structure, A+ players earned ₹7 crore annually, while Grade A, B and C players received ₹5 crore, ₹3 crore and ₹1 crore respectively. Notably, even the players are currently unaware of the updated valuations.
The A+ bracket traditionally included only those cricketers who were regulars across all three formats. However, following the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah was the lone player fitting that criteria. According to the report, this created a structural imbalance, eventually leading to the category being scrapped altogether. As a result, despite being an all-format mainstay, Bumrah has now been pushed down to Grade A, where he is grouped with Jadeja and India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill.
“The board is trying to figure out how Bumrah can be compensated. It is understandable that it will be unfair to slash his fees from ₹7 crore to ₹5 crore. There are some other players also who seem to have moved down a grade despite being performers. There could be a revision in the valuation of the contracts,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Bumrah is not the only player affected by the reshuffle. T20I vice-captain Axar Patel, who has been a key figure in India’s white-ball setup over the past season, has reportedly been placed in the B category, previously valued at ₹3 crore. Meanwhile, players like KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj have also found themselves in the same bracket despite being regulars in at least two formats.
With growing concerns around pay parity and performance-based recognition, the BCCI’s next move on contract restructuring could set a significant precedent for how India values its all-format and multi-format players going forward.
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