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Uma Chetry to replace her in both squads

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2025India’s wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia as well as the ODI World Cup after she injured her left knee during the preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam.Uma Chetry, who was one of the standbys, has replaced Bhatia in both squads. Chetry, 23, has represented India in seven T20Is but has yet to play an ODI. Since she is now part of the main squad, she has been withdrawn from the India A side that was to play the World Cup warm-up match against South Africa on September 28.Bhatia had last played an ODI in October 2024 and was a back-up for Richa Ghosh. She was picked in the World Cup squad after an impressive performance for India A in Australia, where she scored 59, 66 and 42 in three 50-over games.India will take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the World Cup in Guwahati on September 30.

India’s updated squad for Australia series

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Uma Chetry (wk)Standbys for Australia series: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra

India’s updated squad for Women’s ODI World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (WK), Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Uma Chetry (WK)Standbys for Women’s ODI World Cup: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare

India A’s updated squad

Minnu Mani (capt), Dhara Gujjar, Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Vrinda Dinesh, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Tanushree Sarkar, Tanuja Kanwar, Titas Sadhu, Sayali Satghare, Saima Thakor, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Raghvi Bist

First-day century rescues England after five-wicket morning to post 302 for 7 at the close

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2024Joe Root’s return to form was “even more due than before” after a run of low scores, according to his team-mate Zak Crawley, as his brilliant rearguard century on the opening day in Ranchi helped to rescue England from a sticky lunchtime scoreline and put them “ahead of the game” in Crawley’s estimation, at 302 for 7 by the close of play.Root reached the close on 106 not out from 226 balls, having compiled his 31st Test century and his first since the opening day of last summer’s Ashes at Edgbaston. It was his sixth century of the so-called Bazball era, but from 219 balls, was also the slowest by any England batter in that period, and the third-slowest of his entire career.Context, however, was everything for England on a crucial day for their series hopes. After winning the toss and batting first, England’s top-order encountered extravagant seam movement for the new ball, particularly for the debutant quick, Akash Deep, who claimed three wickets in the space of 10 balls. Despite a brace of counterattacking innings from Crawley (42 from 42) and Jonny Bairstow (38 from 35), England were floundering at 112 for 5 when Stokes was trapped lbw by a shooter from Ravindra Jadeja on the stroke of lunch.Thereafter, however, the conditions eased through the afternoon, and Root found the ideal ally for an old-fashioned rebuild in Ben Foakes, with whom he batted through the entire session, in a 113-run stand for the sixth wicket that spanned 44 overs. Tom Hartley and Ollie Robinson then offered crucial support through to the close, to leave England feeling confident about their chances of bouncing back in the series, having slipped to 2-1 down in Rajkot last week.Root’s celebrations on reaching his hundred spoke volumes about his determination to come good in this Test, after a previous highest score of 29 in six innings of the series to date, and having copped a significant amount of criticism for his shot selection in Rajkot, where his infamous reverse-scoop against Jasprit Bumrah proved to be the catalyst for India’s fightback with the ball.Zak Crawley counterattacked after an early life•BCCI

On this occasion, he was back to the basics of his game, with a determination to play in the V, and scarcely a cross-batted stroke at any stage of his innings.”We’re chuffed for him, to be honest,” Crawley said at the close of play. “We never doubted Joe, we just think if he gets couple of lowies, he’s even more due than before, so we fully expected him to go out and get runs in this game. He deserves everything he gets, he works so hard at his game and he always comes good.”He’s probably the only bloke in our team who could have done that knock; he’s that good, he’s our best player and he’s stepped up when we needed him to,” Crawley added. “We needed him to get a score, and he got a score like he’s done for so many years now. He’s just a phenomenal player, one of the best – if not the best – player we’ve ever had for England.”Crawley himself had arguably been England’s stand-out batter across the first three Tests, and though his run-a-ball innings was of a very different ilk to Root’s, it was no less crucial in establishing a footnote on a very tricky morning’s batting. He survived a huge slice of luck on 5, when Deep plucked out his off stump with a no-ball, but resolved to take the attack back to India thereafter, with six fours and a six in the remainder of his stay.”It was nipping a lot and nipping quickly,” Crawley said. “I was trying to bat normally at the start and it was seaming, too difficult. I felt there was one with my name on it. So we had to throw a couple of punches back, and myself and Johnny did that really well actually. Then it got easier, but it was tricky against the spin for the middle-order boys, and they judged that really well. They read the situation and played unbelievably.”Related

• Root rediscovers touch to put the old school into Bazball

• Deep end brings the best out of battle-hardened Akash

• Live Report: India vs England, 4th Test, Ranchi – Gill, Jurel help India seal series

• Can England keep the series alive against Bumrah-less India?

• England's young spin trio feel the love on toughest tour

What it means for the match situation remains unclear, given how difficult Ranchi’s cracked, plate-y surface had been to read before the start of the contest. The impression is that the extra hardness of the new ball could be crucial in bringing those cracks into play, while any overnight moisture in the surface could be a factor in the morning session. Crawley, however, said he stood by his assertion at the time of his dismissal, that any score north of 300 would put England “ahead of the game”.”Against the seam it [was a new-ball pitch] but it got harder versus the spin,” he added. “The softer ball made it bounce a bit more variably. For seam, it was a lot easier by the end, but I think the spin probably got harder.”It was tricky with the fields they were setting but we just always talk about being present in the moment, playing the situation, and the situation required a bit more caution with that kind of pitch and the variable bounce, and that’s what they delivered.”At other times, we counter-punched but they played it perfectly and read it well. It was tricky to try and get on top of them with that field, and they just knocked it around and played it perfectly.”

She was initially supposed to miss only the first two games because of her international commitments

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2022Melbourne Renegades allrounder Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the ongoing season of the WBBL with a back issue.”Harmanpreet was fantastic for us last season and we were looking forward to having her as part of our squad again this year, but unfortunately she has been ruled out through injury,” James Rosengarten, Renegades’ general manager, said.Harmanpreet, the India captain, was initially supposed to miss only the first two games because of her international commitments, with India playing in – and winning – the women’s Asia Cup final. Simon Helmot, the Renegades coach, was confident of her joining the side for the rest of the campaign and had said that her workload would be carefully monitored after she reached Australia.England batter Eve Jones was signed as an overseas replacement last week.”Eve will stay on with our squad for at least the next couple of matches, as we work through the best strategy for our squad for the remainder of the tournament,” Rosengarten said.Harmanpreet was named Player of the Tournament last season after scoring 406 runs at a strike rate of 130.96, in addition to taking 15 wickets in 13 games. Renegades lost the Challenger against Adelaide Strikers and missed out on a chance to make the final.In the ongoing season, they have one win from two games so far.Harmanpreet’s India team-mate Smriti Mandhana had earlier withdrawn from this season of the WBBL to manage her workload.

His “projected recovery time” is three to four weeks, according to CSA

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2021South Africa fast bowler Sisanda Magala has been ruled out of the Ireland tour with an injury to his left ankle. Magala sustained the injury while preparing for the Ireland tour in Grenada, and his “projected recovery time” is three to four weeks, according to a CSA release.Beuran Hendricks has been retained from the West Indies tour, the release further confirmed, and stated the squad had arrived “safely” in Dublin for their tour comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting July 11.The three ODIs and first T20I will be played in Dublin and the last two T20Is in Belfast.Magala made his international debut earlier this year in the T20I series against Pakistan at home and has picked three wickets in four T20Is so far. In May earlier this year, he was named the T20 challenge cricketer of the season at CSA’s annual awards ceremony.

The West Indies allrounder has battled back from a serious shoulder injury to feature at the T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2020West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin was on the verge of quitting the game as she battled to recovery from shoulder sugery.Dottin’s last international was a year ago and she underwent surgery in June but initially struggled with the rehabilitation, reaching the point where she considered whether she could ever be able to make a comeback.She credits advice from former West Indies captain Merissa Aguilleira and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who suffered a similar injury, as key to keeping her motivated.”I had to find means and ways to keep on a positive side and have some extra confidence. Times I’ve felt down, felt like giving up at times,” she said at the West Indies’ media day before the T20 World Cup. “Basically, I did a lot of praying. Also having my best friend just text or call to keep me motivated, giving me that belief to continue to keep working to get back on track.”There were times when I felt like I was getting somewhere, then it was points where I felt like I was taking 50 steps back. So close to point where I said that’s it, I didn’t think I would get back with West Indies or back playing any cricket at all. I didn’t even think that I’d be able to use my shoulder like I used to. I was so close to saying I think I should call it a day.”But speaking to Merissa Aguilleira it gave me that extra boost. I actually had a conversation with Alzarri Joseph who had similar injury to me and he felt the same way, but he kept pushing and he gave me some tips on how to keep positive.”Dottin, who holds the record for the fastest hundred in women’s T20Is with her 38-ball effort against South Africa at the 2010 T20 World Cup, batting as low as No. 6, will be a vital cog in the West Indies side as they look to overturn a poor run of form and be contenders for the title they won in 2016.With the ball, Dottin has 59 wickets at 18.08 in T20Is with a best of 5 for 5 and is confident she will be able to play an all-round role.”In terms of bowling, it [the injury] had a big impact, but it’s coming along good and I think my shoulder is actually feeling stronger than it was before the injury. All in all, in thank god and the people who helped me. Today I’m here which I’m thankful for.”

The Pakistan board has admitted it could’ve handled better the circumstances around the appointment of its new cricket committee

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2018The PCB has admitted it could’ve handled better the circumstances around the appointment of Mohsin Khan as the head of their new cricket committee. What should’ve been an early win in Ehsan Mani’s new tenure as board chairman turned instead into a distraction about the Qayyum report on match-fixing.Comments by Mani and then Mohsin on the day of the announcement suggested that the board had disowned the report in a bid to ensure that Mohsin would work with Wasim Akram, also inducted to the committee; the former has repeatedly insisted he won’t work with players tainted by corruption, as he considered the latter to be.That, the PCB has now clarified, was very much not the intention. “Certainly there was no intention of rubbishing the report in any shape or form,” Mani told ESPNcricinfo. “The Qayyum report is still a PCB document. I was involved in presenting it to the ICC.”Mani and his chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed held an extensive meeting with Mohsin to convince him to work with Akram, after which Mohsin said he was 99% convinced that the charges on players were not “authentic”.”There is certainly some baggage and we could’ve handled that better,” Mani said.Mani was eager to point out that the Qayyum Report had not brought sanctions against Akram that prevented him from working for the board in the future. The report fined Akram and recommended that he be removed from the Pakistan captaincy. And though it conceded that it did not have the evidence to find him outright guilty of some allegations, it also recognised that was the case because of a u-turn by Ata-ur-Rehman, a prime witness against Akram (and also banned for life by Justice Qayyum).”The fact is the Qayyum report said he shouldn’t be captain,” Mani said. “The PCB removed him, he got fined. But there was no sanction from working in future for the board.”That, and subsequent comments by Mohsin, has meant that a strong, diverse committee with the potential for meaningful work has been overshadowed. Alongside Akram, the committee includes former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Urooj Mumtaz. Misbah is seen as someone who can give relevant inputs into the state of domestic cricket, in which he still participates and is a believer. Mumtaz’s appointment is an indication that the administration is going to take more seriously the development of the women’s game.Mani is eager for all involved – Akram and Mohsin, as well as Mickey Arthur and Sarfraz Ahmed about whom Mohsin has made controversial comments – to put these issues behind them and move on.

R Ashwin is eager to learn quickly about English conditions ahead of India’s tour next summer – and he may have to if his Worcestershire stint is curtailed after two matches

George Dobell at New Road29-Aug-2017R Ashwin took three wickets on debut [file picture]•AFP

He probably wasn’t the off-spinning all-rounder they had come to see, but Jack Taylor produced the key contribution to defy Worcestershire at New Road.The day was meant to be about R Ashwin. The pitch had been prepared for him – this is the third time it has been used this season – and, by the time he was introduced into the attack, just before lunch on the second day, the stage was set for a key contribution.It was not quite to be. Nicely though he bowled and often as he troubled the batsmen – initially at least – Ashwin was forced to work hard to make an impact. The pitch, though dry, offered him very little – he described it as “extremely slow” with an expression that made it clear that was no compliment – and, even when the edge was taken, the fielders struggled to cling on to some tough chances. There was no lack of effort and no lack of variations, but there really wasn’t much help for him here.Maybe Worcestershire missed a trick with their selection. Had they included one of their left-arm seamers – either Jack Shantry or George Scrimshaw – their footmarks may have created a bit more rough with which Ashwin could work. As if was, they selected Pat Brown, a right-arm seamer, and he did not bowl a ball in the innings.With gentle rain falling on and off throughout the day – “I signed-up for the cold,” Ashwin smiled – holding the unfamiliar Duke’s ball was demanding and only one of his 27.5 overs was a maiden. And, if his first wicket, that of Gareth Roderick caught and bowled by one that was tossed up a little slower, would have pleased him, the wicket of Craig Miles came when the batsman clipped a full-toss to mid-wicket. Kieran Noema-Barnett might consider himself a little unfortunate to be adjudged leg before, too.But Ashwin is here to learn. He is here not for any financial reward – there is little county cricket can offer him in that regard these days – but because he wants to improve himself. He wants to learn to bowl in unfamiliar conditions (he has played only two Tests in England) and with unfamiliar balls. He wants to return next year and play a key role in helping India defeat England in a Test series. It speaks volumes for his character that, despite being placed No. 3 in the Test bowling rankings, he is prepared to go to such lengths to improve.”It’s not just about next year,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s always been a dream to play county cricket. I grew-up watching it on TV in India and it has always meant a lot. Spinners have come before and told me it is a must-do experience. I was being rested from a series [against Sri Lanka], so I thought I might as well come here to get experience.”But yes, next year was in the back of my mind and the back of the mind of the team management back home. With the pace with which the international cricket calendar is set-up, you don’t have a long time to prepare. That might even cost you a Test match. So these experiences can be banked upon and, if you can learn faster – which I pride myself upon – the results can come a bit faster.”The conditions shouldn’t have been especially tough. But for all the use this surface has had – one four-day match between the England and India U19 sides and one T20 match – it hardly appears to have deteriorated. At this stage, it appears more to have died though it remains possible it will deteriorate over the next couple of days. Ashwin could yet win Worcestershire this match in the second innings and, by doing say, help them take a decent stride towards promotion.Either way, he was sanguine about the missed chances – none of which were easy – and, was able to see the bigger picture both in terms of his own development and his team’s position in the game.”They put down a few catches,” Ashwin shrugged. “But catches go down. It is part of the game. They are fielding close in to me for the first time so I would not blame them.”I wanted to work on exploiting the rough, on using angles and on using a greasy ball. My bowling figures aren’t so important; it’s about making a difference for the team and challenging myself to bowl in tough conditions.”How long he is here remains to be seen. There remains a possibility he will be recalled to play in the limited-overs games against Australia which could reduce his involvement to as little as two Championship matches: this one and the one next week at Trent Bridge. Worcestershire, desperate to push on and achieve promotion, dearly want him to stay until the end of the season and play four matches in total.”I could be called to play in the Australia series,” Ashwin admitted. “But I have indicated to Bumpy [Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire direct of cricket] that I will be available for all four games. As of now, there are no communication channels open but they will be shortly so I’ll probably get a clearer idea after the Sri Lanka series.”When Ashwin took his first wicket, it seemed Worcestershire might cruise to victory. Gloucestershire were 93 for five at the time and the follow-on mark – 214 – looked distant. Ed Barnard, who finished with career-best first-class figures, had helped dismantle the top-order with a fine spell that peaked with the wicket of Cameron Bancroft, who lost his off stump to a beauty that was angled in, pitched and held its own. While not especially quick – he probably bowls in the high 70s in terms of miles per hour; not unlike a young Chris Woakes – Barnard maintains an immaculate line and length and gains just enough seam movement to trouble batsmen.But then came Taylor. While his overall first-class record may be modest – he came into this match averaging just 31.88 – his record against Worcestershire is outstanding. He has now scored four centuries against them in four successive Championship matches and averages 85.33 against them in first-class cricket. For a man who has scored only six first-class centuries in total, it is a remarkable statistic. He’s made a couple of centuries against them in second XI cricket, too. Only Wally Hammond (with six) and Charles Dacre (with five), of Gloucestershire players, have scored more first-class centuries against Worcestershire.While he survived one strong leg before shout in the 80s – George Rhodes, who bowled his own off-spin very nicely, was the unfortunate bowler – this was a deserved century. He picked Ashwin’s variations – especially the delivery that leaves the right-hander – used the crease intelligently to nudge and nurdle and put away the bad ball without fuss. While the first innings deficit was still substantial – 105 – it is not impossible he could have an even greater impact on the game with his off-spin in the fourth innings. He has, at least, kept his side in the game. Nobody else managed more than 33.Earlier Worcestershire lost their final three first-innings wickets for just three runs as Liam Norwell, who dislocated his finger on Monday and had it re-set at hospital, finished with four wickets.But in the grand scheme of things, perhaps the most significant aspect of the day was Ashwin soaking up the experience. While some will bemoan the fact that he has been given an opportunity to gain such knowledge – and it is true, he may well punish England with it next year – the smart English players will be watching and learning everything he does. It can only help them to test themselves against him and watch how he operates. It is especially telling that Moeen Ali nominally at least, a teammate for a few weeks, has already been on the phone offering his help and arranging a meeting.From a spectator’s perspective, it is simply a delight to see a terrific cricketer at close-quarters in the county game. Worcestershire are not the only ones who are lucky to have him.

Michael Hogan claimed four wickets to give Glamorgan a victory opportunity on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2016
ScorecardMichael Hogan spearheaded Glamorgan’s challenge•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Michael Hogan claimed four wickets to give Glamorgan a victory opportunity on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Brightside Ground, Bristol.The 34-year-old seamer dismissed Cameron Bancroft (70) and Hamish Marshall (58) before striking two more blows with the second new ball, sending back Gareth Roderick (67) and Kieran Noema-Barnett for figures of 4 for 68.Having begun the day on 60 for 1 in their second innings, eight runs behind, the hosts were reduced to 271 for eight, a lead of 203, before some tail-end resistance from Craig Miles and David Payne guided them to 302 for 8. That meant a lead of 234 and all results are possible tomorrow, although the weather forecast is not good.Timm van der Gugten struck the first blow of the day for Glamorgan early on, pinning Graeme van Buuren lbw for 22 with a ball that nipped back.Bancroft was unbeaten on 35 at the start of play and the Australian opener moved to his first half-century for Gloucestershire on the day Michael Klinger, the player he has stood in for as overseas signing, returned to the club.Roderick had helped take the score to 109 for 2 when rain forced an early lunch. Soon after the interval it became 117 for three as Hogan speared a ball into Bancroft’s pads and had him caught at short mid-wicket, having faced 158 balls and hit 10 fours.Hamish Marshall continued his fine early season form, going past 50 for the fifth time in as many games, with 7 fours and a six. But on 58 he misjudged a drive off Hogan and was caught in the gully.It was 232 for 4 at tea, Roderick having reached a painstaking half-century off 144 balls. The new ball was taken immediately after the break and Glamorgan used it well.George Hankins was deceived by a quick ball from van der Gugten in the second over and bowled for 18, while Hogan quickly followed up with a leg-before verdict against Roderick as he looked to work a straight ball through the leg-side.Roderick had battled away for nearly four and a half hours and was clearly frustrated with himself for not going on to a really significant score.Gloucestershire then lost two more quick wickets. Noema-Barnett played a poor shot to Hogan and was caught by substitute fielder Nick Selman above his head at extra cover, while Jack Taylor was guilty of an equally rash stroke as he was caught at mid-on off Harry Podmore for 17.The hosts looked in a hole at 271 for 8 on a still true pitch. But Miles and Payne stopped the rot and by the time bad light ended play for the day their stand was worth a precious 31 runs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore are still looking for their first home win of the season against a confident Kolkata Knight Riders side, who toppled Chennai Super Kings in their last outing

The Preview by Nagraj Gollapudi01-May-2015

Match facts

Saturday, May 2, 2015
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)1:54

O’Brien: Toss in Bangalore crucial

Big picture

A power-hitting top order in one corner, and an aggressive fast-bowling pack at the other. It is no Floyd Mayweather Jr v Manny Pacquiao boxing fight, billed as the ‘Fight of the Century’, but Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Kolkata Knight Riders has the making of an action-packed afternoon on Saturday if it lives up to expectations.Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, the backbone of their team’s batting, have all been among the runs and have each played a match-winning innings in Royal Challengers’ resurgence that has seen them string together dominant performances in their last three matches, after three successive home defeats. Another important contributing factor has been the cutting edge to the attack provided by World Cup hero Mitchell Starc, who has effortlessly slipped into the role of the leader of the group.These factors make Royal Challengers a slight favourite against defending champions Knight Riders, who endured a painful defeat at home the last time these two teams met. Royal Challengers were staring at defeat at one stage in that match, after their top and middle order had failed, but ultimately finished winners due to Gayle’s patience and calculated assault in the second half of the chase.India fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who did not play that match, will be the key on Saturday along with South African quick Morne Morkel who sat out Knight Riders’ last two matches. The Bangalore pitch has been one of the most responsive wickets for fast bowlers but the Knight Riders would do well to combine aggression with good bowling strategy to stop the reinvigorated Royal Challengers.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bangalore WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders WLLWW

Watch out for

Gautam Gambhir has hit three fifties this season and remains the lynchpin for Knight Riders. But in the last three matches, he has not had an impact with the bat. But if Gambhir can last beyond the Powerplay, he becomes a dangerous player, especially against the slow bowlers with his ability to pierce gaps and use his feet.Mandeep Singh, the Punjab batsman, has played just one innings of significance this season – the 27 against Rajasthan Royals. But it was a very important innings considering Mandeep’s 74-run partnership for the third wicket with de Villiers set up the platform through which the lower order encashed. But Mandeep has been a disappointment otherwise, scoring just six runs in the two other innings he has played. On Friday afternoon, he had an additional solo session after the team left, getting throwdowns from bowling coach Allan Donald. It will be a test of his character next time he walks in to bat.

Stats and trivia

• Gambhir has made five 50-plus scores against Royal Challengers in the IPL, more than any other player.
• Chinnaswamy stadium is the only venue where fast bowlers have taken two four-wicket hauls this IPL. The seamers have taken taken 29 wickets here, second-most for any venue, just one behind the Wankhede Stadium and Chepauk.

R Ashwin has been named in the top bracket of the BCCI’s central contracts for the first time, while Harbhajan Singh has been demoted

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2012Offspinner Harbhajan Singh and seamer Ishant Sharma have been demoted from Grade A to B in the BCCI’s list of annually contracted players, while offspinner R Ashwin, who has established himself as the leading spinner for India across all three formats, has been promoted from Grade B to A.This means that the duo of Harbhajan and Ishant will draw a fixed income of Rs 50 lakh (approx $93,000) each from October 2012 to September 2013, instead of the Rs 1 crore (approx $186,000) that players with the top grade of contracts will get. Both bowlers seem to have been penalised for their lacklustre performance in the first half of the contract cycle.With the BCCI’s central contracts committee – consisting of president N Srinivasan, secretary Sanjay Jagdale and Sandeep Patil, the chairman of the all-India selection panel – having shrunk Grade A from 12 players to nine, Ashwin has been the biggest beneficiary, replacing Harbhajan as the only spinner in the top grade. There have been no replacements for Ishant, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in the top category, with the latter duo having retired from international cricket during the course of the year.The committee has also promoted Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane from Grade C, which fetches Rs 25 lakh (around $46,500) annually, to B. Both Rahane and Pujara have been billed as leading contenders to fill spots over the long-term in the Test line-up. Umesh Yadav, who has impressed with the ball, and allrounder Irfan Pathan, who is back in national contention after a stint on the sidelines, have been elevated from Grade C to B.Besides Harbhajan and Ishant, others who have been demoted include Praveen Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja, both of whom have been moved from Grade B to C.Bowlers S Sreesanth and Jaydev Unadkat are omitted from last year’s list of 37 players (the same number as this year). Seamer L Balaji and allrounder Yusuf Pathan return to the list, with Grade C contracts, while fast bowler Ashok Dinda is on the list for the first time.Grade A: Rs 1 crore each (approx $186,000)
Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, R AshwinGrade B: Rs 50 lakh each (approx $93,000)
Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Irfan Pathan, Umesh YadavGrade C: Rs 25 lakh each (around $46,500)
Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar, Munaf Patel, Abhimanyu Mithun, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel, Manoj Tiwary, S Badrinath, Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron, Abhinav Mukund, Ashok Dinda, Yusuf Pathan, Praveen Kumar, L Balaji