Ishan Kishan suffers major setback as T20 World Cup begins, BCCI drops him from central contract
Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): The T20 World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to begin on Saturday, 7 February. Team India will start its campaign at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium against the United States. Fans were keenly watching wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who recently made a strong comeback to the national team. However, just before the tournament kickoff, he has received a major blow from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
According to media reports, Ishan Kishan has been excluded from the BCCI’s annual central contract list for the 2025–26 season. Every year, the BCCI awards central contracts to players based on performance and importance, categorizing them into different grades with fixed annual salaries. Reports claim that 30 players have been included this time, but Kishan’s name is missing.
What has surprised many is that Ishan Kishan is part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, yet he has not been given a central contract. Last season, when he was out of the national team, he was placed in Grade C and earned ₹1 crore annually. Now, despite playing in a World Cup, he has been left out of the contract list. However, an official announcement is still awaited, and strong performances in the tournament could still earn him a mid-season contract.
Ishan Kishan is not the only big name to be dropped. Veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami is also among the five players removed from the central contract list. Shami was part of Grade A last season, earning ₹5 crore per year. His exclusion is being seen as a possible sign of the end of his international career, especially as he has been out of the team since the Champions Trophy 2025 and was recently involved in a dispute with chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Along with Shami and Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan, Mukesh Kumar, and Rajat Patidar have also been dropped from the central contract list. All three were in Grade C last season. Sarfaraz has failed to regain a spot since the Australia tour, while Mukesh Kumar and Rajat Patidar have not managed to impress the selectors. Meanwhile, the BCCI has shown faith in young batter Sai Sudharsan, who has been included in the central contract list for the first time.