'A+' category was proposed by MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, reveals Vinod Rai

The BCCI recently revealed a whole new category in the player contracts for the upcoming year - the elite ‘A+’ category. It has now been revealed that the category has been set up as a reward for the top performers in the Indian senior team. Players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have all been included in this category where they are set to earn a whopping Rs. 7 crore a year.

But the omission of Indian veteran MS Dhoni from this category took a lot of fans by surprise, as they questioned the BCCI’s decision to overlook the former skipper. But CoA chief Vinod Rai has revealed that it was Dhoni along with Kohli’s decision itself that ultimately led to the formation of a new elite category in the first place.

"This A+ category was proposed by the players themselves. We had a discussion about this category with Dhoni and Virat. They proposed that there should be category of world-class excellence in which players who play all three formats of the game should be there," Rai told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Dhoni remained in the ‘A’ category and will now earn a salary of Rs. 5 crores - 3 crores more than last year. Rai added that Dhoni and Kohli both wanted the ‘A+’ category to consist of the best performing players in the team. 

"This should be a functional category where players move in and out. Also, it will show that the best in the business are rewarded as per performance," said Rai.

The dynamic duo of former Indian skipper and current leader has been a joy to watch for Indian cricket fans ever since Kohli took up the mantle of captain from the World Cup winning captain. 

"Their camaraderie is exceptional with so much mutual respect. Virat respects Dhoni's cricketing acumen and Dhoni respects what Virat is achieving as a player," 

"Virat feels that there are no faster pair of gloves than MS Dhoni today. Also Dhoni's cricketing mind honed over so many years is an asset for Virat. As far as how many years of cricket is left in him, time and his performance will tell," Rai said.

Rai added that the best part about these central contracts meant that the BCCI could afford to hand out better contracts to domestic cricketers who could now focus on their game better due to a higher salary.

"These increases have been proposed in consultation with the players. Domestic players, who were getting Rs 10-12 lakh per annum, will now get Rs 20-22 lakh per annum in addition to the earnings from Gross Revenue System (profits from TV broadcast).

"Now with this kind of salary, domestic players can concentrate on their game without looking for jobs," Rai added.