BCCI Central Contracts: Two Stars Set To Be Awarded Big Promotion - Both Play For Same IPL 2025 Team: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the central contracts for the 2025-26 season by the end of this week, according to BCCI sources. As per sources, star spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are likely to be promoted from Grade B to Grade A. The duo is currently playing for Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025.Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is also expected to make a return to the contract list after being dropped for the 2024-25 season. The sources further said that senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to retain their places in the A grade.

Kuldeep and Axar have been among India's top performers during their two recent ICC title wins--the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC 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, with best figures of 3/19. In the Champions Trophy, he claimed 7 wickets at an average of 31.85, with an economy rate of 4.79 and best figures of 3/40.

Axar Patel, India's key spin-bowling all-rounder, made important contributions in both tournaments. In eight games and five innings during the T20 World Cup 2024, he scored 92 runs in five innings 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, with best figures of 3/23. His 47-run counter-attack in the final against South Africa proved vital.

In the ICC CT 2025, Axar made a valuable 109 runs in five innings at an average of 27.25 batting at number five, with a strike rate of around 74 in Dubai's testing conditions.

He also made a case for himself as India's most miser spinner, taking five wickets and conceding just 4.35 per over. His