Irfan Pathan [Images] was rewarded for his impressive all-round performance by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, as he was upgraded to Grade A in the new player contracts released in Mumbai on Saturday.

The BCCI handed out central contracts to 15 players this time, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] and Gautam Gambhir [Images] the latest entrants in the list.

"We have contracted 15 players with eight in grade A, four in grade B and the rest in grade C," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said.

The contracted players, who have been offered the same retainership as last year, are as follows:

Grade A (Rs 50 lakh retainers): Rahul Dravid [Images], Sachin Tendulkar [Images], Virender Sehwag [Images], Anil Kumble [Images], V V S Laxman [Images], Sourav Ganguly [Images], Harbhajan Singh [Images] and Irfan Pathan.

Grade B (Rs 35 lakh): Yuvraj Singh [Images], Mohd Kaif, Ajit Agarkar [Images], Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Grade C (Rs 20 lakh): Murali Karthik, Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan [Images].

Last season 17 players were offered contracts and from that list four players - Akash Chopra, Laxmipathy Balaji, Ashish Nehra and Parthiv Patel - have not made the cut.

The match fees for contracted players as well as non-contracted ones have been enhanced for Tests.

If non-contracted players play five Tests or 15 ODIs during the period he would automatically be absorbed in Grade C and would be paid retainers for the remaining period of the contract on pro-rata basis, Shah said.

The contracts are awarded based on the performance and utility of the player to the Indian team in the new season. If a player is injured during the period of the contract, he will continue to get the retainer for the remaining period.

The new match fees for contracted and non-contracted players are as follows:

Contracted Players:

Tests: Rs 2.50 lakh (Old Rs 2 lakh) (Playing 11)

ODIs: Rs 1.60 lakh (same as last season) (for playing 12 including Super Sub).
The reserves would get 50 per cent of the fees.

Non-Contracted Players:

Tests: Rs 3.20 lakh (Old Rs 2.70 lakh) (for playing 11)
Reserves: Rs 1.60 lakh (Old Rs 1.35 lakh)

ODIs: Rs 2.20 lakh (same as last season) (for playing 11)
Reserves: Rs 1.10 lakh.

The Board secretary said 13 per cent of the gross income of BCCI was to be distributed to the international players (both contracted and non-contracted players).

At the end of the year, excess amount, if any, after making payments for retainers and match fees, would also be distributed to them on the basis of a mutually agreed formula to ensure that the players who were in the eleven ultimately benefit, Shah added.