New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) All-format skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, star batter Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma have been retained in Grade A, while Jemimah Rodrigues has been promoted from Grade B in the women’s central contracts, as per reports.

In the topmost category, a player earns Rs 50 lakh annually, while those in the B and C categories are paid Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.

The BCCI has awarded central contracts to 21 players in the women’s category, according to a Dainik Jagaran report.

Eight players, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Goud, Shree Charani, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma and Tejal Hasabnis are the new entrants in the central contract list.

Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, and Sneh Rana have all retained their central contracts.

The report stated that Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana have all been slotted in grade B, while grade C includes Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Goud, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma and Tejal.

According to the 2024/25 contracts list announced in March 2025, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Shafali Verma have all been retained in Grade B, while Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar join them in Grade C in the central contracts list from the 2022/23 season. Shreyanka Patil, Titas Sadhu, Arundathi Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, and Uma Chetry were the fresh faces who made the cut for the retainership.

After their maiden ODI World Cup crown, the Women in Blue are gearing up for the multi-format series against Australia, starting from February 15.

Meanwhile, the BCCI will discuss possible changes to the India men’s central contracts system at its next Apex Council meeting, as per proposals from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.

–IANS

bc/