Ajit Agarkar unlikely to get extension as BCCI chief selector; two former MI cricketers in line to succeed him: Report

Agarkar may have already chaired his last selection meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Former wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and former left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha have emerged as the leading frontrunners to succeed Ajit Agarkar as the chairman of the BCCI senior men's selection committee.

The transition talks come as Ajit Agarkar's contract draws to a close this month, with the upcoming BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Friday (September 18) expected to finalize the decision regarding his future.

While there were earlier rumours suggesting the board might extend Agarkar's tenure until the 2027 ODI World Cup to maintain continuity, recent developments point toward a significant shift in stance within the board.

According to sources by NDTV, Agarkar may have already chaired his last selection meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday (September 16). In his last selection meeting, India's squads for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies and the Rest of India (ROI) squad for Irani Trophy were picked.

The same publication also reported that Parthiv and Pragyan are the leading contenders to take charge as the BCCI chief selector after Agarkar’s exit.

Ajit Agarkar's position came under scrutiny after the July 2026 ODI series against England, where Rohit Sharma's future in ODI cricket and leaked retirement timelines left a section of BCCI officials furious.

Speculations surfaced during the England tour that the selection committee had discussed dropping Rohit from future ODI assignments and that the Lord's match would be his last. After the veteran opener slammed a century in that game, the narrative backfired, prompting BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia to issue a public statement confirming Sharma's long-term spot in the team.

Agarkar was appointed as the BCCI selection committee chief in 2023. His tenure brought immense white-ball success to the Indian team, including three ICC titles (2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups and 2025 Champions Trophy) and two Asia Cups.

While limited-overs results have been unprecedented, the team’s graph has gone down considerably in the Test format, suffering clean sweeps at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa in home series.

The Agarkar-led panel has also managed a major transition phase, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from Tests and T20Is, alongside red-ball exits for Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane.