Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma To Retain A+ Contract Despite Test Retirement
Despite their recent retirement from Test cricket, Indian batting icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will continue to hold their Grade A+ central contracts, confirmed BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Wednesday, May 14. Speaking to ANI, Saikia stated, “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+.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier announced the annual player retainership list for the 2024–25 season in April. Kohli and Rohit were named in the elite Grade A+ category, alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. Typically, Grade A+ contracts are reserved for cricketers involved across all three formats, but with Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja now active in only ODIs, Bumrah remains the sole three-format player among the quartet.
Kohli and Rohit’s Recent Retirement Announcements
Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7, followed by Kohli on May 12, who shared his decision via Instagram. Both had earlier stepped away from T20Is following India’s triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 held in the USA and West Indies.
Kohli’s Glorious Test Legacy
Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket as one of India’s all-time greats. Over a 14-year career, Kohli played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs at an average of 48.65, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. The Delhi-born batter holds the Indian record for most double centuries in Tests and is India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches.
Kohli’s most significant achievement as a captain came in 2018–19, when he became the first Indian skipper to win a Test series in Australia. Under his leadership, India also finished runners-up in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.
Rohit Sharma’s Test Journey
Rohit Sharma’s red-ball career began in November 2013 against the West Indies, where he scored a memorable 177 on debut at Eden Gardens. Over 67 Tests, the Mumbai batter accumulated 4301 runs at an average of 45.09, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries.
Rohit played his final Test match in December 2024 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Under his captaincy, India reached the WTC final in 2023, demonstrating his effective leadership in the longest format as well.
Contract Retention a Mark of Trust
The decision to retain Kohli and Rohit in the top contract tier signals the BCCI’s continued trust in their presence and influence in Indian cricket, especially in ODIs. Despite no longer featuring in T20Is or Tests, the duo remains key senior figures within the squad.
While Kohli and Rohit’s exits from Test cricket mark the end of a legendary era, their continued presence in the ODI setup—and their retention in the elite contract grade—highlight their ongoing value to Indian cricket, both on and off the field.
