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Why Ishan Kishan is Missing from BCCI Central Contract 2026? : The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its annual central contracts for the year 2025-26. This list features several surprising changes. The most talked-about player is Ishan Kishan, who, despite his excellent form and being included in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, has been left out of the contract list.
Let's find out why the Board left this powerful player out.
Ishan Kishan Misses Out on BCCI Central Contract Despite T20 World Cup 2026 Comeback
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Ishan Kishan recently returned to Team India after nearly two years in the T20 series against New Zealand. He scored 213 runs in four matches at a blistering strike rate of 231.18, including a brilliant century. Based on this performance, he was selected as an opener in the playing XI for the T20 World Cup 2026, replacing Sanju Samson. Despite this significant achievement, his absence from the BCCI's 30-player contract list is surprising everyone.
Reasons Why Ishan Kishan Lost His BCCI Annual Contract
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Some technical and disciplinary reasons are being considered for Ishan Kishan's lack of a contract.
- Old Controversy and Board Displeasure: In 2024, Ishan took a break citing 'mental health'. According to reports, the Board did not like his decision because he ignored the instructions to play domestic cricket (Ranji Trophy) during the break.
- Minimum Matches Criteria: According to BCCI rules, it is mandatory to play a minimum number of international matches (such as 3 Tests, 8 ODIs, or 10 T20Is) in a certain time frame to be eligible for a central contract. Since Ishan has recently made a comeback, he may not have met this stipulated period criteria.
- Message of Discipline: The BCCI has taken a strict stance for some time now that players who do not prioritize domestic cricket may be excluded from central contracts. Ishan's name was dropped last time for the same reason.
Also Read: India vs Pakistan: PCB Ready to Play with 3 Major Conditions
BCCI Central Contract 2025-26: Key Changes and Player List
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This time, the Board has made a major change by eliminating Grade A+. Now only three categories (A, B, and C) are maintained.
| Grade | Player |
|---|---|
| Grade A | Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja |
| Grade B | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer |
| Grade C | Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Shivam Dubey, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and others (total 16 players) |
Note: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have now been placed in Grade B as they are now playing only the ODI format.
Can Ishan Kishan Regain His BCCI Contract?
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Even though Ishan is not currently on the contract list, he has a chance to return. According to BCCI rules, if a player plays a specified number of international matches mid-season, he can be included in Grade C on a pro-rata basis.
Ishan made Jharkhand champions by scoring a century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final, and now his bat is on fire in the World Cup as well. If his form continues, the Board may be forced to include him again.
Also Read: Kya India vs Pakistan Match Khela jayga ya nhi?, T20 World Cup 2026
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