Jemimah Rodrigues has been elevated to Grade A of BCCI's central contracts for the 2025-26 season, in line with her stature as one of the team's finest players. The 25-year-old Jemimah was a key figure in India's 2025 World Cup win, hitting a sensational unbeaten 127 in the defeat of Australia in the semifinals. Jemimah's promotion to Grade A sees her join Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepi Sharma in the top grade of contracts.

The contract list, which has seen an expansion from 16 players in the 2024-25 cycle to 21 in the 2025-26 cycle, has notable absentees in Shreyanka Patil and Pooja Vastrakar, who missed most of the previous season with lengthy injuries, although both players returned recently for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their WPL 2026 title-winning campaign.

Grade B of the contract list has seen the most activity. While Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh continue in the bracket, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy and Amanjot Kaur have all been upgraded from Grade C. The BCCI has also expanded the grade by handing contracts to Pratika Rawal and Kranti Gaud.

Meanwhile, of the nine players contracted in Grade C in 2024-25, only Yastika Bhatia remains. The new intake includes Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis and left-arm spinner Sree Charani, reflecting their India call-ups in the recent series and the selectors' push to widen the senior women's pool.

BCCI Contract list for 2025-26

Grade A (4 players): Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma

Grade B (10 players): Renuka Thakur, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy

Grade C (7 players): Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis

IN: Pratika Rawal, Kranti Gaud, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, G Kamalini, Vaishnavi Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani

OUT: Shreyanka Patil, Pooja Vastrakar