Former India opener Aakash Chopra questioned the rationale behind star all-rounder Axar Patel being relegated to ‘Grade C‘ on the 2025-26 BCCI central contracts. The 32-year-old has been an integral part of India’s T20I squad over the past few years.
Axar is also India’s vice-captain in T20Is and played a vital role in their triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The all-rounder averaged under 20 with the ball and over 20 with the bat in T20Is in 2024 and 2025.
He also enjoyed an excellent 2025 season in ODIs, averaging over 36 with the bat and picking up 11 wickets in as many matches.
Reacting to Axar’s Grade C position in the contract list, Chopra posted on his X handle:
“Axar Patel ko aur kya karna hoga to get what he deserves? Three-format player. Vice-captain in one format. Grade-C??”
Axar is also one of India’s select few all-format players, having played a Test match in addition to his white-ball appearances last year. The 32-year-old was at his impressive best in India’s opening T20 World Cup 2026 game against the USA, scoring 14 and picking up two wickets.
“Even Arshdeep shouldn’t be in Grade-C” – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra also expressed his displeasure over left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh being part of Grade C in the BCCI central contracts. The 27-year-old is India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 120 scalps in 77 outings.
Arshdeep was also the highest wicket-taker in the 2024 T20 World Cup with 17 scalps. Furthermore, he has also become a regular in India’s ODI 11, playing six matches last year.
Chopra also called out KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Kuldeep Yadav not being part of Grade A, like Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja.
“If Jadeja and Gill are in Grade-A, why aren’t Hardik, Rahul and Kuldeep?? Even Arshdeep shouldn’t be in Grade-C,” posted Chopra (via the aforementioned source).
The trio is part of the Grade B category despite being regulars in at least two out of the three formats. While Hardik is a key member of India’s white-ball squads, Rahul is a permanent fixture in Tests and ODIs.
Kuldeep is a regular part of the Indian squad in all three formats despite often missing out on the playing 11.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
