BCCI authorises office-bearers to decide Ajit Agarkar's future as chief selector
The Board of Control for Cricket in India authorised its office-bearers to decide the future of the men's senior selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar at the 95th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Friday, vice-president Rajeev Shukla said. Agarkar's contract as chairman of selectors is due to expire early next month and the board has not taken a final decision on whether to offer an extension.
Members' units of the BCCI entrusted the office-bearers with choosing between extending Agarkar's tenure or beginning the process of finding his replacement. Agarkar's current extension is due to expire in September and the board is considering a further one-year extension, but no final decision has been made. Ajit Agarkar was appointed chairman of the men's senior selection committee in July 2023, succeeding Chetan Sharma.
After attending the meeting at the BCCI headquarters, Shukla said: "Arun Singh Dhumal, Majumdar retain IPL governing council posts; AGM authorises office-bearers to take a decision on selectors." That statement, Shukla added, left the decision on Agarkar's future open-ended.
If the board opts against an extension, it will not be able to appoint a replacement immediately; the position must be advertised, interviews conducted and then a new chairman named, a process the board acknowledged could take some time. The AGM's authorisation gives the office-bearers the mandate to take decisions on matters concerning the selection committees, and the BCCI is also looking to fill all five positions in the junior selection committee.
The 95th AGM was attended by representatives of the BCCI's affiliated state member associations, including former India captain Sourav Ganguly, representing the Cricket Association of Bengal, and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad of the Karnataka State Cricket Association. BCCI president Mithun Manhas, vice-president Rajeev Shukla, secretary Devajit Saikia, Bengal Cricket Association president Sourav Ganguly and Jharkhand State Cricket Association secretary Saurabh Tiwary were among the officials who attended the meeting. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Cricket Association requested the BCCI to consider the city while allotting a few more prominent matches; the immediate focus, however, will remain on the selection committee.
Agarkar's tenure has coincided with notable limited-overs successes and Test setbacks. India reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final, finishing runners-up to Australia at home; won the 2024 T20 World Cup, beating South Africa in the final in Barbados to end an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy; and won the 2025 Champions Trophy, defeating New Zealand in the final and completing the tournament without a defeat. There were also difficult Test results: India suffered a 3-0 home Test series defeat to New Zealand in 2024, their first home Test series loss in 12 years, and lost the subsequent Border-Gavaskar Trophy five-Test series in Australia 3-1.
The chairman of selectors' contract is set to end early next month, and the BCCI will now have to decide whether to extend his contract or initiate the process of appointing a new chairman.
