Ajit Agarkar exit
A major change could be on the cards in Indian cricket administration. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar is nearing the end of his current tenure, with reports indicating that the board has begun looking for a replacement.
According to a PTI report published by NDTV, several developments contributed to the strained relationship between Agarkar and the current BCCI regime. These reportedly included the handling of Rohit Sharma’s future, differences with VVS Laxman over player management and scheduling, and Agarkar’s absence from a key BCCI review meeting.
According to the report, a decision concerning Rohit Sharma’s future was taken ahead of India’s white-ball series against England.
The selection committee, team management and key BCCI decision-makers reportedly agreed that India needed to move on from Rohit after the Lord’s ODI. South Zone selector Pragyan Ojha was then asked to communicate the decision to the former India captain.
Rohit was reportedly unhappy with how the decision was communicated and raised his concerns with a senior administrator.
The situation became more complicated when speculation about Rohit’s retirement emerged. The BCCI subsequently issued a statement backing Rohit and rejecting retirement speculation. According to the PTI report, Agarkar was reportedly unhappy that the statement had been issued without his prior knowledge.
The report also describes a difference in approach over India’s ODI planning. Agarkar reportedly felt that if Yashasvi Jaiswal was to be part of the 2027 ODI World Cup plans, he needed sufficient opportunities to establish himself in the format.
At the same time, there was an argument that Rohit was still contributing with the bat in a significant number of ODIs.
Agarkar and VVS Laxman were teammates for India for several years. However, according to the report, differences developed over the management of injured players and the scheduling of India A matches.
Several India A games were scheduled alongside important domestic matches and senior-team commitments. The overlap reportedly became a point of disagreement between Agarkar and Laxman.
Agarkar had also reportedly questioned the need to field India’s first-choice players at the Asian Games, where cricket is not considered the country’s primary international competition.
Another area of discussion involved centrally contracted injured players and the absence of clearly defined timelines for their rehabilitation and return.
The report noted that India A scheduling is handled by the head of the Centre of Excellence along with members of the cricket operations team. These overlapping responsibilities reportedly contributed to tensions over decision-making and accountability.
Agarkar was absent from an important BCCI review meeting held to discuss India’s England tour and the team’s road ahead.
At the time, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said Agarkar was out of station and could not join the meeting online because it had been called at short notice.
However, the latest PTI report says that some within the BCCI viewed his absence from such an important meeting as a significant development.
Agarkar had reportedly been willing to continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup. But NDTV sources have since reported that the BCCI is preparing for a new chief selector.
Agarkar’s current contract is due to expire on October 4. Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has emerged as one of the names being considered as a possible replacement, although the BCCI has not made a final announcement.
The latest reports therefore connect Agarkar’s possible departure with a combination of issues surrounding Rohit Sharma’s future, differences with VVS Laxman over cricketing policy and scheduling, and the fallout from his absence at the key review meeting.
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