Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced amendments in the pay-brackets, a categorization of players on the basis of their pay. The board controlling cricket in India has introduced an A+ category in central contracts and included five players in it.

Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have been relegated from the top-paid bracket after BCCI introduced A+ category.

They have been relegated to A category which also has Ravindra Jadeja, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Wridhhiman Saha. Players in A category enter a contract which pays them Rs. Five crores annually.

Batsmen Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan along with bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah which ensures them Rs. Seven crores annually.

A senior official from BCCI was asked about Dhoni’s relegation. He clarified BCCI’s policy regarding the categorization.

“It's a simple logic that selectors have applied. Play more and get paid more. The five in question are indispensable in all three formats right now. They deserved to be paid more. Also Ravi Shastri, Kohli and Dhoni have been taken into confidence,” informed the BCCI official.

“The second group comprises players who are certainties in at least one format like Saha and Pujara. They are in the second group because of their dependability in at least one format,” the official added.

Pacer Mohammad Shami’s name has been withheld by the board following allegations of domestic violence and torture against him.

Earlier, the top-bracket players got Rs. 2 crores which have been increased to Rs. 7 crores. The pay scale for the second category has been increased to Rs. 5 crores.