BCCI Announces Women Cricketers' Central Contracts-Big Inclusions and Exclusions
The BCCI has declared the central contracts of Indian women cricketers for the 2024-25 season, which include prominent inclusions and unexpected omissions. While well-performing players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Shafali Verma held on to their places, new additions were young talents who gained promotion. Some senior players, though, were dropped, leading to team selection and plans for the future.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at last made its much-awaited central contract list for the 2024-25 season public. Left out last season, the new list includes a mix of old-timers and newcomers. Most notably, the Grade C section, where the lion's share of changes are, with many new names and some notable exclusions.
Emerging Stars receive central contracts
There has been a heavy inclusion of young, promising cricketers in the central contract list, where they have made a massive stride in their life. Some of them include bowler Titas Sadhu, all-rounders Arundhati Reddy and Amanjot Kaur, wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, and injured off-spinner Shreyanka Patil on the Grade C list. The maximum alteration has been here with a shift in the approach of the selection committee towards young player players.
The greatest shock pick is Amanjot Kaur, who was seen the last time playing for the Indian national team in January 2024. Though out of international cricket, Kaur's impressive display in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 made her eligible for a central contract. She represented Mumbai Indians and won Emerging Player of the Season as her team won a second WPL trophy in three years. This acknowledgement centers on the increasing importance of Indian franchise cricket in determining India's next heroes.
While there were a few cricketers to smile about, others were kept out in the cold. Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Anjali Sarvani, and Harleen Deol were not included in the new contract list. Deol's exclusion comes as a surprise, considering she had just returned to the national team and had even achieved her first ODI century.
Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad's exclusion from Grade B is another stark highlight. She has not been impressing the selectors and last appeared in action for India in white-ball cricket in September 2023. Her last action in international cricket was in a Test against South Africa at Chennai, but lack of availability for limited-overs cricket might have prompted the selectors to rest her completely.
The Indian women's cricket top tier is unchanged, and Grade A is also unchanged. The highest-paid players in the list are all-rounder Deepti Sharma, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. These three cricket stars are to be given a retainership value of INR 50 lakh per annum, considering their consistent performances on the field as well as their position as leaders of the team.
The Grade B list, which used to have more players, now has only four: Richa Ghosh, Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues. Notably, Verma has not played for India since the T20 World Cup 2024, but her past performance and potential have put her in this list, where a retainer of INR 30 lakh is also provided.
Injured Players Retain Their Contracts
Injuries have haunted some players, but others have retained their contracts despite prolonged periods of absence. Pooja Vastrakar, who has been out since the UAE T20 World Cup, is still in Grade C. Similarly, Shreyanka Patil, who was recovering from an injury, has been included in the list, which indicates that selectors consider them to be part of India's long-term plans.
A New Phase for Indian Women's Cricket
2024-25 central contract list is a transition and stability list. While the old guard still dominates the top two divisions, the presence of fresh faces in the Grade C list indicates the evolving nature of Indian women's cricket. The inclusion of players on the domestic performance basis, like in the inclusion of Amanjot Kaur, indicates the increasing power of matches such as the WPL to make future icons.
As the women's team looks forward to playing more international matches in the future, these contract decisions will go a long way in shaping team strategy and player growth. The roster is a template of the nation's future in cricket, with experienced presence offset by newer recruits so that there is a sound team for the long term.
