Rising off-spinner R Ashwin on Friday replaced out-of-form senior tweaker Harbhajan Singh in the top bracket of BCCI's list of central retainership contracts. Pacer Ishant Sharma was also demoted from Grade A to B. Harbhajan and Ishant have spent the better part of this year out of the team struggling for form in whatever chances they have been handed.
Ashwin, on the other hand, has played eight Tests since making his debut in November last year, grabbing 49 wickets. In the recent home series against New Zealand, he had taken 18 wickets in two Tests. In the ODIs, he has scalped 56 wickets in 40 matches. The Chennai-bowler has 12 wickets from his 15 Twenty20 International appearances.
The elite Grade A features nine players this year, three down from the last season, according to a press release issued by the BCCI.
With the retired duo of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman out of the equation Ashwin was only new name in the top bracket, the players in which are paid an annual retainership of Rs. one crore.
The likes of veteran Sachin Tendulkar, under-fire skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the struggling opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir and fading pace spearhead Zaheer Khan retained their Grade A contracts.
The in-form Virat Kohli, middle-order batsman Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh completed the top category, all three retaining their contracts.
In Grade B, the BCCI has offered contracts to eight players, three more than last season with batsman Rohit Sharma being the only one to have retained his contract.
The in-form Virat Kohli, middle-order batsman Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh completed the top category, all three retaining their contracts.
In Grade B, the BCCI has offered contracts to eight players, three more than last season with batsman Rohit Sharma being the only one to have retained his contract.
A Grade A contract is worth Rs. 1 crore annually, Grade B is worth Rs. 50 lakh and Grade C is worth Rs. 25 lakh.
Grade A contract players: Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin.
Grade B contract players: Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, A Rahane, Irfan Pathan and Umesh Yadav.