Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hardik Pandya get demoted in BCCI central contracts

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara during an overseas Test match against England (Image: Reuters)

Veteran batters Cheteshwar Pujara and former Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane were downgraded in the latest central contracts list of the BCCI that was ratified by the Board's Apex Council on Wednesday.

The BCCI has four categories -- A+ which has annual remuneration of Rs 7 crore while A, B and C categories are valued at Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore respectively.

Accordingly, Pujara and Rahane, who were in Grade A are now in Grade B, after a slump in form that saw them being dropped from the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

That they will be downgraded was reported by PTI on January 20.

The biggest demotion, however, was for injury-ravaged all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been shunted out from Grade A to C in the list.

Controversial keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has been dropped from the Test team, will still be richer by Rs 1 crore after being demoted from group B to C.