Ajit Agarkar's tenure as chief selector is due to end on October 4.
Pragyan Ojha has stepped up as the interim chairman of the BCCI's senior men's national selection committee in the absence of Ajit Agarkar, whose tenure officially comes to an end on October 4, PTI reported.
The former left-arm spinner, who represented India in 24 Tests, is currently the senior-most member of the existing four-man panel based on Test match experience, positioning him as a strong candidate to potentially fill the chief selector role permanently.
The remaining three selectors on the panel alongside Ojha are Shiv Sundar Das (23 Tests), RP Singh (14 Tests), and Ajay Ratra (6 Tests).
According to the report, head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen engaged in a lengthy discussion with the four-member selection committee on the eve of the second ODI against the West Indies, scheduled for September 30 in Guwahati.
The presence of all four selectors carried significant weight due to an incredibly packed upcoming schedule.
The selectors need to pick teams for India's tour of New Zealand, slated to be run from October 22 to November 27, featuring five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Test matches. Moreover, the panel will select squad for a concurrent India A shadow tour of New Zealand, involving three unofficial Tests from October 24 to November 10.
Since the final ODI in New Zealand wraps up on November 15 and the first Test begins on November 19, the management might release core Test specialists early from the limited-overs leg so they can travel ahead and acclimatise to local training conditions.
Outgoing chief selector Agarkar was reportedly not present as Gambhir held the discussion with Ojha and rest of the members on Tuesday (September 29).
The discussion is understood to have been related to India's impending New Zealand tour. With the 2027 ODI World Cup roadmap under active construction, the cross-format series presents a vital opportunity for Gambhir and the selectors to assess combinations and player workloads.
(With PTI Inputs)