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Jasprit Bumrah salary: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remained at the top in terms of salary for years. However, now Jasprit Bumrah is the player whom the BCCI is planning to pay the highest salary.
Discussions around central contracts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have, for years, revolved around Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Their stature, salaries, and consistent presence across all formats have naturally placed them at the top of the pay hierarchy. However, the narrative appears to be shifting this time. Notably, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has emerged as the key figure prompting the board to reconsider its approach, with the BCCI now keen on offering him the highest salary under the new contracts.
The most significant development when the BCCI finalised its central contracts for the 2026-27 cycle was the discontinuation of the A+ category. Introduced in 2018, this top tier was reserved for players who participated in all formats and were consistently among the world's top performers.
However, with Rohit and Kohli stepping back from T20 Internationals and Test cricket, and Ravindra Jadeja no longer a part of the shortest format, Bumrah emerged as the sole player clearly deserving of this category. Instead of maintaining an entire category for just one player, the board decided to do away with it altogether.
Under the new rules, Bumrah has been placed in Grade A alongside Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja. This means his earnings, based on last year's salary structure, have reduced from ₹7 crore to ₹5 crore, and this is where the real issue arises. A TOI report, citing a BCCI source, stated that the board is exploring ways to compensate Bumrah.
While other players' payments have decreased due to reduced participation in various formats, this is not the case for Bumrah. He remains India's premier fast bowler and a permanent fixture across all formats. He is the most impactful cricketer in the current team. The old system was designed to reward exactly this type of player, but the new system does not.
It appears the BCCI is aware of this. When announcing the contracts, the board deliberately refrained from mentioning the salary figures associated with each grade. According to the report, players have also not yet received any official confirmation regarding the exact salary amounts.