Senior superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were on expected lines downgraded to Grade B of the latest annual central contract awarded by the BCCI which also abolished the prevailing A+ category carrying a retainership fee of Rs 7 crore.

The BCCI on Monday awarded central contracts to 30 men and 21 women cricketers classified in Grade A, B and C. However, the BCCI didn’t mention the quantum of retainership fees for the three categories. With A+ being done away, in the earlier seasons, Grade A was valued at Rs 5 crore, Grade B at Rs 3 crore annually, and Grade C at Rs 1 crore.