Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma likely to be relieved from central contract, Suryakumar Yadav set to be promoted

When the list for the 2022–23 season is finalised during the Board’s Apex Council meeting on December 21, Test specialists Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma are likely to be released from their annual central contracts, while Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav may be promoted.

Hardik Pandya, who is viewed as a potential T20 captain, is probably going to move up from Group C to Group B. The video conference will be used to conduct the 12-pointer meeting. The agenda does not include a discussion of the Indian team’s performance in the 20-20 World Cup and Bangladesh one-day matches, but the chairperson may deem it necessary to bring up unlisted topics for discussion.

The Council will also approve a one-time payment for V Jaydevan, whose rain-rule formula has been used in domestic white-ball matches for more than ten years, in an innovative gesture. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method (DLS) is employed at the international level, while the VJD is employed for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the former Deodhar Trophy and Challenger Trophy.

The speedster Ishant and former vice-captain Rahane, who are no longer in the running for an India spot, are expected to be removed from the new list. Wriddhiman Saha, a wicketkeeper and batter, will also be removed from the list as he was specifically informed at the beginning of the year that he won’t be chosen for India again.

A+ contracts offer the cricketers Rs. 7 crores, Group A Rs. 5 crore, Group B Rs. 3 crore, and Group C Rs. 1 crore. The Board decides on the grading scheme after consulting with national selectors and using a variety of metrics.

“Surya was in Group C but his performance in the last one year warrants a promotion to Group B at least, if not A. He is currently world No. 1 in T20I ICC rankings and is a serious contender in the ODI team also,” a senior official told PTI.