The BCCI has reportedly extended Ajit Agarkar’s contract as chairman of selectors until June 2026. Agarkar, who was appointed in June 2023, oversaw a period of notable success for India, particularly in the shorter formats. Under his guidance, India reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, narrowly losing to Australia, but rebounded strongly by winning the T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, ending a long trophy drought.
However, Agarkar’s tenure faced criticism following a string of Test defeats. India suffered a 3-0 series loss to New Zealand at home and were beaten 3-1 by Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which coincided with the retirement of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket. The team performed better on the England tour, securing a 2-2 series draw. Agarkar made several bold and sometimes controversial decisions as chief selector.
His choice to leave out Mohammed Shami and Sarfaraz Khan during the England tour faced backlash, and the exclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer from India’s Asia Cup squad sparked significant debate within the cricketing community. The Indian Express reported that Agarkar’s contract was extended before the start of IPL 2025.
“Under his tenure the Indian team had won titles and had seen transition (of the Tests and T20) too. The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months back,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
Senior Selection Committee Set For Major Overhaul
The report further states that the BCCI is considering making some changes to the senior selection committee, which includes Ajit Agarkar, SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratra, and S Sharath. Sharath, who joined the panel in January 2023 and is about to complete four years, is expected to be replaced by a new member. It remains uncertain whether Das and Banerjee will receive extensions.
Meanwhile, Ratra will complete one year on the committee next month, having been appointed in September 2024.
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