All formats’ permanent athletes belong to the A Plus category. The category A group consists of players who mainly participate in Test matches with sporadic appearances in the other two formats. Category B represents players who appear in multiple formats regularly while Category C contains new players and format specialists. A recent BCCI committee decision to place Rohit Sharma and Kohli and Jadeja as part of category A Plus has raised questions because these three cricketers already retired from T20 international competition. An official from the BCCI described the motives behind it.
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A BCCI official speaking to PTI on background provided that the new central contracts will operate from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. The evaluation period begins on October 1st 2023 and ends on September 30th 2024. The three cricketers participated in the T20 World Cup final in June 2024 when all formats were regularly played by them. According to their technical qualifications these players need to be classified under the A Plus category.
Players in the A Plus group demonstrate complete assurance of participating in each cricket format. The Category A group includes seasoned Test professionals but maintains limited participation in the additional formats. The category structure entails that players who perform in multiple formats fall under Category B yet Category C represents new participants alongside single-format specialists. The placement of Rohit and Kohli and Jadeja in A Plus category sparks controversy since they officially retired from T20 cricket. According to a top BCCI official there was a rationale behind the arrangement.
The official provided PTI with anonymous information regarding the start date for the new central contract period which begins on October 1, 2024 and ends on September 30, 2025. The evaluation period lasts from October 2023 until September 2024. Kohli Rohit and Jadeja participated in the T20 World Cup final of June 2024 because they were active in all formats at that time. Based on the technical criteria their position should be designated as A Plus.
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Both Kishan participated in two World Cup games and Shreyas appeared in fifteen ODIs and several Tests during the 2023-24 season thus receiving their designated contracts. The previous contract resulted in Pant being moved from category A to B because he stayed away from cricket for one year following the near-fatal car accident.
