In-form trio gets upgraded BCCI central contracts

Three India players had their contracts upgraded on Wednesday by the national cricket board after stellar performances, as it expanded its players’ list from 26 to 30.
KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Mohamed Siraj join teammates Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohamed Shami and Hardik Pandya in the A grade.
But the top four players in the A+ category remain unchanged – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja – the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced.
The BCCI did not stipulate pay for each category, but last year A+ contracts meant an annual salary of $844,000, with A-grade players earning $603,000.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, the stand-out performer in the ongoing Test series against England, entered the list on his first BCCI central contract on grade B – a $362,000 salary, according to last year’s figures.
But the BCCI missed out Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, saying they were “not considered” for the annual contracts in this round.
BCCI chief Jay Shah said he “recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team”. The contract lists of four grades run from October 2023 to September 2024.
India fast bowler Shami out of IPL after Achilles surgery
Pace bowler Mohamed Shami is out of this year’s Indian Premier League after having surgery on his Achilles tendon.
Shami, who plays for the Gujarat Titans, posted photographs on social media of himself in hospital after the operation on Tuesday.
He said that recovery “will take some time” meaning he will miss the glitzy Twenty20 league that begins next month.
“I will continue to work hard towards my recovery,” Shami wrote, adding that the surgery had been successful and he was “looking forward to getting back on my feet.”
Shami took 24 wickets as India reached the final of the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
The IPL, the richest Twenty20 league in the world is due to begin on March 22 but will keep fixture dates flexible because of the country’s general election.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings, led by 42-year-old former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match.