The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Central Contract for the 2025-26 season on Monday, 21st April 2025. 7 new players were added to the contract, while players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to the list after missing out last time.

Last year, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were left out of the BCCI central contract after opting out of the domestic games for their respective state teams. BCCI's focus on domestic cricket left them out of the central contract despite being part of the Indian team set up a few months ago.

But, this time, both the Indian batters were added to the contract after Iyer won everything in the domestic cricket last season, along with lifting the IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders. Ishan Kishan also played through the entire domestic season and has been rewarded with the contract too. 

Read Also | "Mere Sath Kyun?.:" Ishan Kishan breaks silence on Team India exit and Central Contract termination

Talking points from the BCCI Central Contract 2025

Rohit and Kohli stay in Grade A+ 

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remained in the Grade A+ category despite retiring from the T20I format. Rohit and Virat had announced their retirement from the shortest format of the game after lifting the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. 

Ravindra Jadeja is another name who has been listed in the A+ category despite retiring from the T20Is after the World Cup victory.

Bumrah is the only all-format player in A+

With Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja retiring from the shortest format of the game, Jasprit Bumrah remains the only all-format player to be in the A+ category of the BCC Central Contract 2025.

Pant is promoted to the Grade A category

Rishabh Pant received a promotion to the A category after being in the B category last year. Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami are the other names in the A category, who were already there in last year's contract. 

Ravi Ashwin has been left out of the contract since he retired from international cricket.

Iyer listed in grade B; Kishan in grade C

Shreyas Iyer, who was left out of the contract last year, has been included in the Grade B, while Ishan Kishan has been listed in the Grade C. 

Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the other names in Grade B, who were there last time as well. 

New 7 names in Grade C

7 new players have been added to the BCCI Central Contract 2025. All of these players found themselves in Grade C. 

Dhruv Jurel, Sarafraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep are the players who received the contract for their performances in the last season. 

Not to be confused, Akash Deep earlier had a fast bowling contract and this year received the central contract after doing well in the Test format. 

Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharath, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have been left out of the contract this year.

Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa were all part of the fast bowling contract last season. 

BCCI Central Contract 2025

BCCI announces annual player retainership 2024-25 - Team India (Senior Men) 💙🤝#Bcci #IndianCricket #Viratkohli #RohitSharma #jaspritbumrah #Shreyasiyer #KlRahul #HardikPandya #Ipl2025 pic.twitter.com/LSmlg06QOS

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 21, 2025

Asia Cup 2025 will be held in UAE from 9 to 28 September. Due to T20 World Cup 2026, this time Asia Cup will also be organized in T20 format. India is being seen as the biggest contender in the Asia Cup this time.

Over the years, there have been many bowlers who have made a significant impact for their sides in the Asia Cup and are even featured in the list of highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history. Players like Muthiah Muralidaran, Lasith Malinga and many more are certified legends for their sides, and they fully deserve the status after their brilliant bowling performances over the years.

With the Asia Cup 2025 right around the corner, let's have a look at the highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history.

Also Read: Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | ODI Format

1. Muthiah Muralidaran

Muthiah Muralidaran is considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. He has picked up 30 wickets in 24 Asia Cup matches at an economy of 3.75 and an average of 28.83. He was part of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup titles wins in 1997, 2004 and 2008.

2. Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga is second on the list of best bowlers in Asia Cup history. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest pacers, especially in white-ball cricket. Malinga played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2018 and took 29 wickets at an economy of 4.65 and an average of 20.55. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 and 2014 editions and won the Asia Cup in 2004 and 2014.

3. Ajantha Mendis

Former Sri Lanka mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is third on the list. Mendis took 26 wickets in just 8 matches from 2008 to 2014 at an economy of 3.98 and an average of 10.42. He was the highest wicket-taker at the 2008 edition and helped Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup titles in 2008 and 2014.

4. Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal is the only non-Sri Lankan bowler in the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in Asia Cup history. Ajmal took 25 wickets in 12 matches between 2008 and 2014 at an average of 19.25 and an economy rate of 4.21. He was part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup-winning team in 2012.

5. Ravindra Jadeja

India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja completes the top 5 list of the bowlers with most wickets in the Asia Cup. He played in the 2010 to 2023 editions of the Asia Cup so far and took 25 wickets at an average of 26.28 and an economy rate of 4.34. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 date announced; BCCI yet to confirm participation against Pakistan

Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | T20 Format

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The top wicket-taker in Asia Cup T20 history is India’s pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has scalped 13 wickets in six matches at an impressive average of 9.46. The 35-year-old, who is currently not part of India’s squad, is also known for his skillful death and new ball bowling.

Bhuvi has an excellent economy rate of only 5.34 and is the only bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the shorter edition of the tournament. The right-arm medium pacer’s best figures of 5/4 — also his T20I best, came against Afghanistan in the 2022 edition of the tournament.

2. Amjad Javed

The second-highest wicket-taker of this list is Amjad Javed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who has featured only in the 2016 edition of the tournament, where he led the team. In the only edition he played in this format, he has taken 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.08.

The 45-year-old has a relatively higher economy rate of 7.34 as compared to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Javed’s best bowling figures in an innings came against Sri Lanka during the inaugural edition of the T20I format of the Asia Cup. The right-arm pacer took three wickets for 25 runs to record his best figures in the tournament.

3. Mohammad Naveed

The third-highest wicket-taker in the event’s history is also the UAE’s Mohammad Naveed, with 11 wickets to his name in seven matches. Like Amjad Javed, he made only one appearance during the 2016 Asia Cup, where his team advanced after playing qualifying rounds.

The 38-year-old has an excellent average of 13.18 with a reasonable economy rate of 5.24. Naveed’s best bowling figures of 3-14 came against Hong Kong in 2016. With his bowling performance, the UAE restricted Hong Kong to 146-7 in their 20 overs. In reply, the UAE successfully chased down the total and won by nine wickets.

4. Rashid Khan

Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan has taken 161 wickets in just 96 T20Is for Afghanistan and is the leading wicket taker in T20 cricket. However, he is unlikely to be fourth on the list by his standards. He has so far taken 11 wickets despite playing eight matches, a number higher than all the top three bowlers.

The leg-spinner has an average of 18.36 and boasts a slightly higher economy rate of 6.51. His best figures of 3-22 came against Bangladesh in 2022, resulting in a thrilling victory over the Tigers.

5. Hardik Pandya

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is fifth on the list. The right-arm pacer has scalped 11 wickets in eight matches so far, with an average of 18.81 and the highest economy rate of (7.01) among the top five bowlers.

Notably, his best figures of 3-8 against arch-rivals Pakistan during the 2016 edition. Thanks to Hardik Pandya’s bowling, India bundled out Pakistan for a modest total of 83 and successfully chased it down in 15.3 overs.

Asia Cup 2025 will be held in UAE from 9 to 28 September. Due to T20 World Cup 2026, this time Asia Cup will also be organized in T20 format. India is being seen as the biggest contender in the Asia Cup this time.

Over the years, there have been many batters who have made a significant impact for their sides in the Asia Cup and are even featured in the list of highest run scorer in Asia Cup history. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virat Kohli and many more are certified legends for their sides, and they fully deserve the status after their brilliant performances over the years.

With the Asia Cup 2025 right around the corner, let's have a look at the highest run scorer in Asia Cup history.

Also Read: Records T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav can break in Asia Cup 2025

Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History | ODI Format

1. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka's great Sanath Jayasuriya holds the record for most runs in the history of the Asia Cup in ODI format. He leads the table with 1220 runs in 25 matches, including 6 centuries and 3 fifties. Jayasuriya played from the 1990 edition till the 2018 edition and also has the most number of centuries (6) in Asia Cup history.

2. Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara is second on the list of most runs scored in the Asia Cup. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest batters and a consistent run-scorer. Sangakkara played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2014 and scored 1075 runs in 24 games, including 4 hundreds and 8 half-centuries. 

3. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket, is the third-highest run scorer in Asia Cup history. He played in Asia Cup from 1990 to 2012 and is India's highest run-getter in the Asia Cup. Sachin has scored 971 runs in 23 matches at an average of 51.10, with 2 centuries and 7 fifties.  

4. Rohit Sharma

India's current ODI captain Rohit Sharma is the Asia Cup's most runs scorer among all the active players. He played from 2008 to 2023 and scored 939 runs in 28 matches, averaging 46.95. He helped India win the Asia Cup in 2018 and 2023 and remains one of the most successful captains in the history of the nation.

5. Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim is the only Bangladesh player in the top 10 batters with the most runs in Asia Cup history. He has played in all the Asia Cups from 2008 to 2023 and scored 830 runs in 25 matches at an impressive average of 36.08 and a strike rate of 83.08. His highest score of 144 was against Sri Lanka in 2018. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 date announced; BCCI yet to confirm participation against Pakistan

Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History | T20 Format

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is at the top of the list of players with the most runs in Asia Cup T20 history. He played 10 matches (9 innings) and scored 429 runs at an impressive average of 85.8 and a strike rate of 132, with three fifties and a century to his name. Kohli has retired from T20Is now and will not feature in the upcoming Asia Cup.

2. Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is the next in this list and has scored 281 runs so far in six matches in the T20 format of the Asia Cup. He has scored runs at an average of 56.2 and a strike rate of 117.57 with three fifties to his name. Rizwan is not a part of Pakistan's T20I squad and it remains to be seen if he gets picked for the Asia Cup.

3. Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, like Virat Kohli, has also retired from the shortest format of the game. However, he is third in the list of players with the most runs in the Asia Cup T20. He scored 271 runs in nine innings at an average of 30.11 and a strike rate of 141.14 with two fifties to his credit.

4. Babar Hayat

Babar Hayat of Hong Kong is one of the surprise entries in this list. He has played five matches so far and scored 235 runs in the Asia Cup T20 at an average of 47 and is one of the only two centurions in the tournament. His best score of 122 is also the joint-highest individual score in the Asia Cup.

5. Ibrahim Zadran

Ibrahim Zadran of Afghanistan has also made it to this list. He mustered 196 runs in just five matches at an average of 65.33 and a strike rate of 104.25 with a half-century to his name. Zadran has a chance to climb up the list in the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup.

Indian ODI team captain Rohit Sharma has reached the second position in the men's ICC ODI rankings. In the new rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, the Hitman jumped one place and reached the second position. With this, he left behind Pakistan's star batsman Babar Azam. 

Also Read: Most Ducks by an Indian in Tests

Rohit last played in March

Rohit, who has already retired from Tests and T20I, last played an ODI in March during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, which India won.

Rohit has scored 180 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy in five matches, boasting a highest strike rate of 100.00 among the Indian batters in the tournament. Rohit has 756 rating points in the latest rankings.

Babar failed to perform against West Indies

On the other hand, Babar could not show anything special in the recent ODI series against West Indies, which the Men in Green lost 1-2 in Trinidad. As a result, he slipped to the third position.

With Babar managing just 56 runs against West Indies in three ODIs, the International Cricket Council (ICC) took a note of his strike rate to drop him to third. He managed a strike rate of just 62.22 against West Indies.

Gill at No. 1

There has been no change in Shubman Gill's reign in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batters. He is in first place with 784 rating points. Apart from Gill and Rohit, the third Indian in the top five is Virat Kohli, who is in fourth place. He has 736 rating points.

India continues to dominate the ODI charts, with five players in the top 15, including Shreyas Iyer (8th) and KL Rahul (15th).

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

India to play next ODI series against Australia

It is worth mentioning that the Indian team will tour Australia in October. During this time a three-match ODI series will be played between the two.

Rohit announced after Champions Trophy 2025 that he does not intend to retire from ODI cricket, even sharing a moment with Kohli joking about it during the celebrations.

However, despite having eyes on the 2027 Cricket World Cup, Rohit and Kohli's spots are reportedly not a guarantee in the ODI setup. In fact, as per reports in recent days, the veteran duo will also have to turn up in domestic cricket as a metric for form and fitness.

On the other hand, whether Rohit will continue to be captain till the World Cup is also a topic of debate. With 25-year-old Shubman Gill impressing in England, Rohit isn't an automatic captaincy selection anymore. However, the ODI rankings continue to reflect both Rohit and Kohli's continued prowess in the 50-over format.

The duck - dismissal without scoring a single run, is a humiliation that haunts all cricketers, but it’s become an almost expected feature for the names that appear here. Some were genuine bowling greats, with match-winning spells and legendary careers with the ball. But when it came to contributing runs, they routinely exited without troubling the scorers.

In this article, we will take a look at most ducks by an Indian in Tests.

Also Read: Most International Wickets for India (Pacers)

Most Ducks by an Indian in Tests

1. Ishant Sharma | 34

Ishant Sharma tops our list by securing 34 ducks with no runs, and his name appears among the Indian players who have scored the most ducks in Test cricket. Ishant Sharma was known for his lion-hearted spells and his remarkable longevity as a fast bowler. With the bat, however, his long limbs and hesitant stroke play made for awkward viewing.

Ishant's tally of 34 ducks in just 142 innings shows just how frequently he was dismissed for zero. In the 102 matches that Sharma has played for India, he has managed to score a total of just 751 runs at an average close to 7.5.

2. Zaheer Khan | 29

Zaheer Khan was one of India’s most dependable fast bowlers in the 2000s and early 2010s, especially overseas. A left-arm swing bowler capable of troubling the best batsmen, his contributions with the ball were immense.

During his career that lasted from 2000 to 2014, Zaheer Khan, however played a total of 1231 runs at an average of 11.95 and was dismissed on 29 occasions without scoring any runs.

3. Jasprit Bumrah | 28

Jasprit Bumrah might be the spearhead of India’s bowling attack, but his form with the bat is not so well. In the previous ENG vs IND Test series, Bumrah recorded his sixth duck in seven innings. Since the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in December 2024, Bumrah’s scores read: 0, 0, 22, 0, 0, 0, 0.

Bumrah played a total of 341 runs at an average of 6.55 and was dismissed on 28 occasions without scoring any runs.

4. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar | 23

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar was ranked as the worst batsman in the history of Test cricket. He registered 23 ducks from 80 innings, averaging one duck every four innings.

But if one were to form a eleven of No 11s who have played Test cricket, Chandrasekhar would be the No 11 in this team as well. Chandra played 58 Tests and took 242 wickets, an outstanding match-winning bowler for India. But in these 58 Tests he scored only 167 runs. That meant he took more wickets than he scored runs. His Test batting average was 4.07.

Also Read: Most Test wickets by pacers in away tests

Bishan Singh Bedi | 20

Bishen Singh Bedi is 5th on the list with 20 ducks during his illustrous test career that saw many twists and turns. Not known much as a batsman, he was a tailender who didn’t know much about batting. But however he ranks as one of India’s best spinners who bowled with a big heart and known for his deceiving flighted balls.

During his career that lasted from 1964 to 1979, Bedi played a total of only 167 runs at an average of 4.07 and was dismissed on 20 occasions without scoring any runs.

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has returned to the nets for the first time since undergoing surgery on his lower right abdomen. Asia Cup 2025 is going to start from 9th September. All the teams have started their preparations. This time the tournament will be played in T20 format. In such a situation, it is very important for Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav to be fit. The Indian skipper is now working hard to be fully fit in time for the tournament, which will also act as a key preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

If he recovers in time, SKY will not only lead the side but also have a chance to break multiple T20I records in Asia Cup 2025. Let's have a look.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

Records Suryakumar Yadav can break in Asia Cup 2025

3,000 T20I Runs with 160+ Strike Rate

The 34-year-old is on the verge of becoming the first player in T20I history to score 3,000 runs while maintaining a strike rate above 160. He is currently 402 runs short of the milestone. No batter in history has got to 3,000 T20I runs with a strike rate above 150.

Most Centuries in T20Is

Surya also needs one more century to equal the joint record of five T20I hundreds held by Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell. Batting in the top order will give him a golden opportunity to at least equal, if not surpass, their record. Given his IPL 2025 form, breaking it outright isn’t out of the question.

Players with 150 T20I Sixes

Sky just needs four more sixes to join the elite club of players with 150 T20I sixes, with 146 sixes to his name. Only Rohit (205), Martin Guptill (173), Muhammad Waseem (168), and Jos Buttler (160) have cleared the rope more often. This one could be ticked off within a match or two.

Surya is focused on recovery and fitness

To speed up his recovery, Suryakumar withdrew from the Duleep Trophy 2025 and has been concentrating on strength-building, mobility work, and match fitness at the NCA. His training is aimed at ensuring he can handle the demands of back-to-back matches in the Asia Cup.

Also Read: ENG vs IND: Every record Shubman Gill broke in test series

Surya's performance in IPL 2025

Surya was last seen playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. He batted brilliantly this season and won the Most Valuable Player award by scoring 717 runs for Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma retired from the T20 format after the T20 World Cup 2024. After this, Surya is captaining the Indian T20I team. Surya has shown excellent captaincy. He has won 17 matches for India in 22 matches. 

The Indian team will start its campaign in Asia Cup 2025 from September 10, where it will face UAE. Apart from this, the big match between India and Pakistan will be played on September 14.