Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has decided against applying for the vacant position on the BCCI Senior Men's Selection Committee, news agency PTI reported.

Despite widespread rumours that he would be the frontrunner to replace Ajit Agarkar as the West Zone representative, Patel chose not to submit his application before the board's deadline at 5:00 PM IST on Wednesday (October 14).

With this development, ex-India spinner Pragyan Ojha is expected to continue as chairman for the remainder of his tenure.

"Don't know if the BCCI would extend the deadline, but Parthiv had not applied till 5 pm on October 14. The situation could change if the deadline is extended or he changes his mind," a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Because the BCCI constitution decrees that the member with the most Test caps chairs the committee, Ojha—who is currently serving as the interim chief selector—is now set to perform the role on a full-time basis.

Ojha's 24 Test appearances give him the highest seniority among the remaining panel members, which includes Shiv Sundar Das (23 Tests), RP Singh (14 Tests), and Ajay Ratra (6 Tests). Had Patel applied, his 25 Test caps would have automatically made him the senior-most member to take over the chairmanship.

With Parthiv out of the race, former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar and former wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe have emerged as the leading potential contenders for the West Zone senior selector seat. Both of them had submitted applications during previous BCCI advertisement rounds.

Earlier, Powar was heavily tipped by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) to head the BCCI junior men's selection committee.

The pool of prominent eligible candidates from the West Zone appears limited, unless the BCCI decides to extend the deadline to allow new applicants.

Parthiv Patel has reportedly opted to continue his broadcasting commitments and his coaching stint with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.

(With PTI Inputs)