Three contenders to succeed Ajit Agarkar as India’s chairman of selectors

Ajit Agarkar, chairman of India’s senior men’s selection committee, is approaching the end of his contract this month and the BCCI is reportedly examining possible successors, with RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Parthiv Patel among the names under consideration.

India’s senior men’s team faces a busy white-ball schedule and is beginning preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, tasks that place added importance on the selection committee’s decisions about the current squad and integration of young players. Agarkar took charge in July 2023 and his current contract is scheduled to end this month, with several reports suggesting the BCCI is unlikely to grant an extension.

RP Singh is linked to the current selection setup and has prior international credentials as a left-arm fast bowler, having played 14 Tests, 58 ODIs and 10 T20Is and claiming 40, 69 and 15 wickets respectively. He also appeared in 82 IPL matches and picked up 90 wickets, and subsequently remained involved in cricket before becoming part of the national selection framework.

Pragyan Ojha, a former left-arm spinner who is already a member of the senior men’s selection committee, played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20Is for India and finished his Test career with 113 wickets. Multiple reports have named Ojha among the leading candidates to take over if Agarkar departs.

Parthiv Patel has been discussed as a contender based on his coaching work in the IPL and other T20 franchises and his role as assistant coach of Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. As a player he featured in 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is for India, scoring 1,706 runs across formats and recording 93 catches and 18 stumpings.

Any prospective chief selector must meet the panel’s eligibility conditions: having played seven Tests, or 30 first-class matches, or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches, and having been retired from the game for at least five years.

Reports say the BCCI is currently evaluating replacements as Agarkar’s contract concludes this month; the board’s decision on the next chairman of selectors will determine who oversees selection for India’s forthcoming white-ball programme and the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.