The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially began collecting applications for the vacant position on the men's selection committee on Tuesday. Simultaneously, Ajit Agarkar's authority as chief selector officially ended on Tuesday.
Agarkar, a former Indian fast bowler who held the post of chief selector in 2023, did not express a desire to extend his contract after its expiration. Consequently, the BCCI announced the availability of this vacancy.
Following Ajit Agarkar's departure, former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha has been appointed as the interim chief selector. Ojha will chair the meetings for selecting the squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand in T20, ODI, and Test formats.
Ajit Agarkar's last duty as chief selector was forming the squads for the limited-overs series against West India. During Ajit Agarkar's tenure, the Indian team achieved several significant successes.
Under Agarkar's leadership, India participated in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Furthermore, the team won the 2024 T20 World Cup. In addition, India also secured the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Although some media outlets speculated about Rohit Sharma's future this year, these statements were later refuted by BCCI Secretary Devadjit Saikia. Subsequently, Agarkar's absence from the BCCI meeting became an obvious sign of his unwillingness to remain in the post.
According to the BCCI announcement, the new committee member will be responsible for selecting players for the Indian team in all three formats, as well as strengthening the reserve within future plans. He will also evaluate player performances during domestic and international matches and participate in selection meetings.
The candidate must have played at least 7 Test matches or 30 first-class matches. Additionally, experience in at least 10 ODI matches and 20 first-class matches is required. The candidate must also have retired from cricket at least 5 years ago.
