Aakash Chopra Questions BCCI's Decision on Axar Patel's Contract Grade
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has publicly criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for awarding all-rounder Axar Patel a Grade C contract in the latest annual list, released on Monday, February 10, 2026. Chopra expressed his disbelief on social media, highlighting Patel's significant contributions to the national team.
Chopra's Strong Reaction on Social Media
In a post on X, Chopra wrote, "Axar Patel ko aur kya karna hoga to get what he deserves? Three format player. Vice-captain in one format. Grade-C??" He further questioned the grading system by comparing other players, stating, "Also, if Jadeja and Gill are in Grade-A, why aren’t Hardik, Rahul and Kuldeep?? Even Arshdeep shouldn’t be in Grade-C." This critique underscores the perceived inconsistency in the BCCI's contract allocations.
Details of the BCCI Contract List for 2025/26
The BCCI's latest contract list has sparked discussions due to several notable placements. Alongside Axar Patel, players such as Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sai Sudharsan, Shivam Dube, Akash Deep, and Ravi Bishnoi were all categorized in Grade C. This group includes emerging talents and established performers, raising questions about the criteria used for grading.
Changes in Top Contract Grades
In a significant shift, the A+ contract bracket has been eliminated entirely for the men's team. The top-most Grade A now features only three players: Test captain Shubman Gill, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Meanwhile, veteran former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been demoted to Grade B contracts for the 2025/26 season. Both players, who have been in the A+ category for most of their careers, are now active in only one format after retiring from T20Is in 2024 and Tests last year.
Women's Team Contract Highlights
On the women's side, four players have been awarded Grade A contracts: captain Harmanpreet Kaur, batters Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, and all-rounder Deepti Sharma. Grade B contracts in the women's team include Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, and Sneh Rana, reflecting the board's recognition of their performances.
Other Notable Inclusions and Exclusions
In the men's team, Grade B contracts have been awarded to T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, who is currently leading India in the 2026 T20 World Cup, along with Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar. A notable absence from the list is veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who was in Grade B last year. Shami has remained active in domestic cricket but has not played for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March, possibly influencing his exclusion.
The BCCI contract list continues to be a topic of debate among fans and experts, with figures like Aakash Chopra calling for greater transparency and fairness in how players are graded based on their roles and performances.
