By Vipul Kashyap

New Delhi [India], May 14 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia on Wednesday confirmed that star India batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will stay in the Grade A+ category despite retiring from the T20Is and Tests.

Earlier in April, the BCCI announced annual player retainership 2024-25 where Kohi and Rohit were put in the Grade A+ category along with right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

'Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's grade A+ contract will continue despite their retirement from the T20Is and Tests. They are still part of the Indian cricket team, and they will get all the facilities of Grade A+,' Devajit Saikia told ANI.

Ahead of the five-match England tour, which will kickstart India's ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign, Virat stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from the format, drawing curtains to a 14-year-long, 123-match big career.

In his Test career, the 36-year-old made 123 appearances in white clothing, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings and the best score of 254*. He is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs).

On May 7, Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket after a career spanning 67 Tests and 11 years, ahead of the England tour, kickstarting India's ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle from June 20 onwards.

He amassed 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score of 212 came during a memorable home series against South Africa in 2019. He finishes as India's 16th-highest run-getter in the longest format.

In 2024, after the completion of the T20 World Cup, Virat and Rohit announced their retirement from the shortest international format.

In 35 T20 World Cup matches, Virat has scored 1,292 runs at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81, with 15 half-centuries. His best score is 89*. He is the highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament. In 125 T20I matches, Virat scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04. He scored a century and 38 fifties, and a best score of 122*. He ends the format as the second-highest run-getter of all time.

On the other hand, in 151 T20I matches, Rohit has scored 4,231 runs at an average of 32.05 with a strike rate of over 140. He scored five centuries and 32 fifties in his career, with the best score of 121*. Rohit is also the leading run-scorer in the format. (ANI)