Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar is eyeing a long-term stay at the top after playing a key role in the team’s recent success in global tournaments. After India’s golden performance in ICC events, the BCCI had given Ajit Agarkar another year’s extension even before the start of IPL 2025.
The India national cricket team won the 2024 T20 World Cup and then added the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and then the 2025 Asia Cup to its cabinet. And recently, the Men in Blue created history by defending the T20 World Cup title.
BCCI is facing a big challenge due to Ajit Agarkar’s insistence on organizing the 2027 World Cup.
After the remarkable success, Agarkar himself has asked the BCCI to extend his tenure as India’s chief selector. According to a Times of India report, the former Indian fast bowler asked the board to retain him as the chief selector till the 2027 ICC World Cup in the African continent.
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Interestingly, the request has already been discussed among top officials. However, as reported by the above-mentioned source, BCCI President Mithun Manhas, Secretary Devjit Saikia and Agarkar declined to comment.
It is being said that a former Indian player from West Zone was being seen as the main option to replace Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector. But no major incident has happened yet. Agarkar has sought a longer stay as chief selector at a time when India is enjoying another ICC title win.
Now, the BCCI has to decide whether to continue with Agarkar or look for a new face to lead the selection committee at the crucial stage where they are preparing for the ICC World Cup 2027 and aiming to make the ICC World Test Championship final after a debacle last season.
Agarkar became the chief selector in June 2023. Since then, India has enjoyed great success in white ball cricket. The team also won two T20 World Cups, one Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup in 2023 and 25. During his time, India has looked very strong in ODI and T20.
But the test team has not performed well. India lost two consecutive home Test series against New Zealand and South Africa and also lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia. So, the team’s struggles in Test cricket have put pressure on head coach Gautam Gambhir and Agarkar.
During his tenure, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Tests, with former captains also retiring from T20I cricket. Ashwin has completely retired. Rohit and Kohli still play ODIs, but no one knows whether they will play the 2027 World Cup or not.
Recently, Agarkar said at the NDTV World Summit 2025: “Look, they [Rohit and Kohli] Currently part of the team for Australia. In two years’ time, we don’t know what the situation will be. So why just those two? It could be some other young players also. [who might miss out on the tournament]. It is still very far away. We’ll see how the team shapes up, but we have some ideas, and as we go along, we’ll probably have a better idea of where the team is progressing.”