5 Indian players who do not have BCCI contract but earn more than ₹7 crore in IPL
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the list of annual player retainerships for the Indian senior men's cricket team.
Like the last few seasons, the board has divided the players into four categories based on their performances in international cricket.
The highest category is Grade A+, where the cricketers earn an annual salary of ₹7 crore from the BCCI contract. Four Indian cricketers, namely Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, have earned the Grade A+ contract.
Some top stars of Indian cricket missed out on a place in the annual retainership this season, but the following five of them have an IPL salary of more than ₹7 crore, which is the salary of Grade A+ cricketers.
#1 Deepak Chahar lost his BCCI contract
Star Indian all-rounder Deepak Chahar had a Grade C contract last year, but the BCCI has dropped him from the list for the 2022-23 season. Chahar missed a majority of the matches in 2022 due to injuries.
Chahar also missed IPL 2022, but the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have retained him for ₹14 crore for the upcoming IPL season. The pace-bowling all-rounder will make his comeback in IPL 2023.
#2 Varun Chakravarthy
Tamil Nadu-born Varun Chakravarthy has been out of the Indian squad since the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He was a surprise inclusion in the team for the mega event, but the mystery spinner could not impress much.
While the Indian selectors have lost faith in him, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team management still believes in his abilities. KKR have retained him for ₹8 crore for IPL 2023.
#3 Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer is another Kolkata Knight Riders player to appear on the list. The all-rounder made his international debut in 2021 and was a part of the squad for a few series in 2022 as well. However, after Hardik Pandya returned from his break, the selectors have not considered Iyer.
Like Varun Chakravarthy, the Knight Riders continue to believe in Venkatesh Iyer as well. KKR offered him a ₹8 crore contract for IPL 2023.
#4 Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel was a member of the Indian squad that participated in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Patel was one of India's top wicket-takers in the shortest format of the game, but the medium pacer lost his place in the team for leaking too many runs.
The BCCI did not offer him a contract for the 2022/23 season, but the Royal Challengers Bangalore have retained him for ₹10.75 crore.
#5 Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia is the only uncapped player to feature on this list. Tewatia earned a call-up to the Indian T20I squad for the home series against England in early 2021, only to warm the benches.
The all-rounder continues to be among the top performers in the IPL. Defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) have retained him for ₹9 crore for the upcoming season.