BCCI Announces Indian Women’s Cricket Team Central Contracts for 2024-25: In a big development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially confirmed the awarding of central contracts effective from the 2024-25 season of the Indian Women’s cricket team.

The newly released contract list, valid from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, lumped players into Grades A, B, and C based on how they performed and contributed to the team. The announcement underscores the board’s commitment to rewarding proven performers while applauding new stars emerging.

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Grade A: The Elite Trio

Three of India’s most proven and successful players, though, belong to the Grade A category, the highest tier:

Harmanpreet Kaur – Indian captain in all three formats, continues to lead from the front as far as aggressive batting style and astute leadership are concerned. Grade A Recognizing Gilly as the Answer Going Forward Her involvement will shape the course of the team towards that success, both home and away.

Smriti Mandhana – Renowned for her graceful stroke play and capacity to stabilize innings, Smriti is still a pillar of India’s batting order. She is the player that everyone counts on to deliver match-winning performances so the team needs to have her.

Deepti Sharma – Deepti is an all-rounder who keeps contributing with bat and ball on an ongoing basis, her versatility across formats gets her a name in the elite company

Back in Grade A for another season, these three have forced their way in with some brilliant performances.

Grade B: All-Stars in the Making, Model Players

This particular image is of the Grade B tier which consists of players who have proven their worth and are the backbone of the team. This tier includes:

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Renuka Singh — Emerging pace bowler with a knack for getting vital wickets with the new ball.

Jemimah Rodrigues – A batter with quick feet known for her adaptability and innovative stroke play in all formats.

Richa Ghosh – The promising wicketkeeper-batter has grown by leaps and bounds owing to her flashy batting and sharp glovework.

Shafali Verma – Explosive opener hasn’t played international cricket since October but has kept her Grade B status, showing the selectors’ faith in her future potential.

Grade C: New Blood and Old Hands

Grade C Category: These are either young players on the rise as well as some experienced players who still have a role to play. This tier includes:

Yastika Bhatia – An experienced keeper-batter with reliable domestic and international performances.

Radha Yadav – A left-arm spinner who has made a name for herself as an economical wicket-taker in white-ball formats

Shreyanka Patil — The exciting all-rounder joins the central contracts for the first time.

Titas Sadhu – A developing pace bowler, securing her first contract.

Arundhati Reddy – A medium pacer is expected to return to the contract list following the promising domestic performance.

Amanjot Kaur – Yet another new name on the list whose performances in domestic cricket have been hard to overlook.

Uma Chetry – A new entrant in the BCCI central contract list for a young wicketkeeper-batter.

Sneh Rana – A seasoned off-spin all-rounder who is known for her ability to withstand pressure as well as play crucial roles in tough times.

Pooja Vastrakar: A pace-bowling all-rounder whose aptitude to perform under pressure has seen her being kept in Grade C.

Notable Omissions – last year’s contract list have not been re-signed

Some players from last year’s contract list have not been re-signed. Here are the biggest snubs:

Rajeshwari Gayakwad – A veteran left-arm spinner who belonged to Grade B in the previous cycle.

Meghna Singh: Medium-pacer with swing bowling.

Devika Vaidya – An all-rounder who mainly bowls leg-spin.

Sabbineni Meghana – An accomplished domestic top-order batter.

Anjali Sarvani – A left-arm seamer who had done well in limited-overs cricket.

Harleen Deol – An athletic fielder and middle-order batter omission is a subject of some debate.

A Step Toward Gender Equality

To maintain gender parity, the BCCI has ensured that female cricketers, just like their male counterparts, are paid an equal match fee. As per the revised structure:

• INR 15 lakh for Tests
• INR 6 lakh for ODIs
• INR 3 lakh for T20Is

This landmark decision is in line with a global trend towards equality in sports and acknowledges the ever-increasing stature of women’s cricket in India.

What’s Next for the Indian Women’s Team?

Meanwhile, the Indian Women’s team is set to play a crucial tri-nation ODI series with Sri Lanka and South Africa that is slated to begin in April 2025. This series will prove to be crucial preparation for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 which is to be hosted in India later this year.

The new contract list does not only commend the contributions of the veteran players but also sprinkles the upcoming talents with new rights that they can pursue for their international careers. With the women’s game only getting bigger, these contracts represent a strong vision of what is to come and a clear show of promoting excellence.

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