Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bid farewell to their illustrious Test career, ending a rich legacy and at the same time leaving a huge void in India's batting line-up. With India set to begin their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle next month against England it'll be interesting to see whom BCCI trusts to fill the big boots.
Amidst all this another thing that has left fans curious are the annual contracts of India's premier batters. Rohit and Virat were placed in the A+ category when BCCI released the annual central contracts last month. After announcing retirements from T20Is and Tests, the duo will now only be available for ODIs.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has put an end to all questions regarding the duo's contract, stating they will remain in the highest bracket. The players placed in the A+ category receive an annual salary of Rs 7 crore.
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's grade A (+) contract will continue despite their retirement from the T20Is and Tests. They are still part of the Indian cricket team, and they will get all the facilities of Grade A (+),” Saikia told ANI.
Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are the other two names placed in the same category. While Bumrah continues to deliver his services in all three formats, Jadeja like Virat and Rohit had announced retirement from T20Is after India won the T20 World Cup last year held in the USA and West Indies.
Meanwhile, Bumrah and Jadeja both will play key roles in the upcoming five-match series against England, which starts from June 20. Bumrah was once touted as the potential replacement for Rohit in the red-ball format. However, due to a history of prolong injuries he has fallen behind in the ladder, which has seen Shubman Gill make significant jump.
The 25-year-old is leading the race to be named as India's next captain in the red-ball format, with Rishabh Pant reported to be his deputy.
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