Star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Axar Patel are likely to be promoted from Grade B to Grade A in the BCCI central contract list as the governing body is expected to announce the contracts for the 2025-26 season by the end of this week,
According to sources, middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is also expected to make a return to the contract list after being dropped for the 2024-25 season.
Senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to retain their places in the A+ grade, sources said.
Kuldeep and Axar were among India's top performers during their two recent ICC title wins -- the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025.
In the T20 World Cup, Kuldeep took 10 wickets at an average of 13.90 and an economy rate of 6.95. In the Champions Trophy, he claimed 7 wickets at an average of 31.85 and with an economy rate of 4.79.
Axar too made significant contributions in both tournaments. In five innings during the T20 World Cup 2024, he scored 92 runs at an average of 23.00 and a strike rate of 139.39. He also took 9 wickets at an average of 19.22 and an economy rate of 7.86. The southpaw also scored a crucial 47 runs in the final against South Africal.
In the Champions Trophy, Axar tallied 109 runs in five innings at an average of 27.25 while batting at number five. He also shone with the ball, picking five wickets with an average was also 39.20.
Shreyas is expected to be rewarded for his superlative show with the bat in the Champions Trophy. He also has had a brilliant IPL and domestic season last year, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to their third Indian Premier League title, and winning domestic titles including the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
He scored heavily across all formats in domestic cricket before making his return to the ODI set-up during the England series this year and becoming India's top run-getter in the Champions Trophy, amassing 243 runs in five matches.
In eight ODIs this year, he made 424 runs at an average of 53.00.
Rohit and Virat, who have both retired from the T20I format, are likely to continue being in the A+ category, having played a crucial role in India's white-ball title wins recently. While Rohit scored 257 runs in eight matches during the T20 World Cup 2024, Virat scored a clutch 76 in the final against SA after a disappointing tournament.
During the Champions Trophy, Virat came good during run-chases against Pakistan and Australia, scoring 218 runs in five matches with a century and fifty each.
Rohit also played some blistering knocks, scoring 180 in five innings, including a vital 76 runs in the final against New Zealand.
Bumrah, who last played for India in the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and has just returned to the Mumbai Indians (MI) set-up in the ongoing IPL, has been an all-format star for India. He had an all-time great BGT campaign against Australia away from home, snapping 32 wickets in five matches.
He ended 2024 with 86 wickets in 21 international games, the most by any bowler, including a 'Player of the Tournament' award in the T20 World Cup 2024, where he took 15 crucial wickets in eight matches at an average of 8.26.
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