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Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Shami and Sarfaraz Khan (Source:X)
The BCCI announced the much-awaited central contract list for the 2025–26 season on February 9, 2026. The spotlight was on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma being demoted to Grade B, and the removal of the A+ category.
The bigger talking point has been the absence of some high-profile names from the list. Despite strong domestic performances, Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan and Mohammed Shami failed to make the cut. Their exclusions have raised eyebrows, especially considering their recent form and experience.
1. Ishan Kishan
Why did BCCI drop Ishan Kishan?
Ishan Kishan's omission is the most surprising on the list. The wicketkeeper-batter returned to international cricket last month during India's five-match home T20I series against New Zealand and made an immediate impact.
Kishan scored 235 runs in five T20Is, averaging 47.00 with a staggering strike rate of 215.60. His standout performance came in the fifth T20I at Thiruvananthapuram, where he smashed 103 off just 43 balls. These performances earned him a place in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
| Data (SMAT) | Stats |
| Innings | 10 |
| Runs | 517 |
| SR | 197.33 |
| Avg | 57.44 |
In the SMAT 2025, Ishan Kishan finished as the highest run-scorer of the tournament, amassing 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.33, guiding Jharkhand to their first-ever title.
In the VHT 2025–26, he scored 155 runs in 3 innings at an average of 51.67 with a strike rate of 231.34.
The answer lies in the contract evaluation period. Ishan did not play any international cricket during most of the assessment window (October 2024 to September 2025). BCCI central contracts primarily reward consistent international appearances, not recent form alone.
2. Sarfaraz Khan
Why did BCCI drop Sarfaraz Khan?
Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion follows a similar pattern. After making his long-awaited India debut in 2024, Sarfaraz last featured in the Mumbai Test against New Zealand, where he scored 0 and 1. Since then, he has not played a single international match during the assessment period.
Overall, Sarfaraz has played 6 Test matches, scoring 371 runs, including one century and three fifties. His recent domestic form has been outstanding. In the SMAT 2025, Sarfaraz scored 329 runs in 7 innings at an average of 65.80 and a strike rate of 203.09.
He continued his rich form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26, where he piled up 303 runs in 5 innings, averaging 75.75 with a strike rate of 190.57.
Despite these numbers, Sarfaraz was dropped because central contracts are not awarded solely on domestic cricket.
Like Kishan, Sarfaraz was in Grade C last season, but his complete absence from international cricket during the review period led to his exclusion.
3. Mohammed Shami
Why did BCCI drop Mohammed Shami?
Mohammed Shami was in Grade A, but for the 2025–26 season, his name is missing entirely. Shami last represented India in the Champions Trophy 2025 final. Since then, injuries have kept him away from international cricket.
However, he has worked hard to regain fitness through domestic cricket.
In SMAT 2025, Shami picked up 16 wickets in 7 innings with an economy rate of 8.91. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26, he took 15 wickets in 7 innings at an excellent economy of 6.10.
His red-ball commitment was evident in the Ranji Trophy 2025–26, where he claimed 28 wickets in 11 innings at an economy of 2.56.
Despite these numbers, Shami's prolonged absence from the team during the evaluation period worked against him. The BCCI's current contract policy strongly links contracts to fitness, availability, and recent international involvement.
