Who will replace Ajit Agarkar as India chief selector? Potential candidates listed as Agarkar steps down

· Yahoo Sports

India's selection room looked different this week. Shreyas Iyer hit an unbeaten 101 off 42 balls on Tuesday as India beat West Indies by eight wickets in the first T20I in Lucknow.

On the same day, a panel led by Pragyan Ojha, not Ajit Agarkar, picked India's T20I squad for the New Zealand tour. The former Indian bowler's term as chairman of the men's selection committee ended on October 4, after more than three years in the job.

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The BCCI then invited applications for one seat on the panel on October 6. The deadline is 5 pm IST on October 14. The person who fills that seat could end up running the committee.

That would put them in charge of India's squads for the 2027 ODI World Cup, including the Rohit Sharma question.

Here, The Sporting News takes a look at why Ajit Agarkar left as chief selector of BCCI, who could replace him, what India won on his watch and what Gautam Gambhir said about him.

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Why did Ajit Agarkar step down as India's chief selector?

Ajit Agarkar was not pushed out early. His contract ran to October 4, and he chose not to seek an extension. He took charge in July 2023 and was eligible to continue for one more year.

He reportedly informed the BCCI around the board's 95th AGM in Mumbai on September 18. The AGM did not decide his future. It handed that call to the office bearers. Agarkar has not publicly explained his reasons.

There were signs earlier. He missed the BCCI review meeting in Mumbai on September 3. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said Agarkar was out of station and could not join online. Reports also say Agarkar had asked the board in February to look at other options when his term ended. He had also held talks with BCCI officials over whether he would stay through the 2027 World Cup.

The Rohit Sharma matter is also reported as a factor. After the England tour in July, the committee reportedly agreed to move beyond Rohit for the 2027 World Cup, and the decision was conveyed to him.

Rohit was still picked for the West Indies ODIs. That reportedly upset Agarkar, who felt his ideas were not being carried out. Rohit scored 101 in the second ODI in Guwahati and 92 in the third at New Chandigarh. Neither Agarkar nor the BCCI has confirmed this version. The West Indies squads were his last selection meeting.

Who will replace Ajit Agarkar as India's chief selector?

The BCCI is filling one seat on the five-man panel. It must go to a candidate from the West Zone, which was Agarkar's zone. That covers Mumbai, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Baroda, Maharashtra and Vidarbha.

Applicants need at least seven Tests, or 30 first-class matches, or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches. They must also be five years past retirement. Shortlisted names will be interviewed.

The Test count matters. The selector with the most Tests becomes chairman. Ojha has 24, Shiv Sundar Das has 23, RP Singh has 14 and Ajay Ratra has six. Any new West Zone selector with more than 24 Tests would take over as chief selector.

Here are some of the names linked with the job.

Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel is reported to be the front-runner. The former wicketkeeper-batter played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is between 2002 and 2018. His 25 Tests would put him one ahead of Ojha. He is a three-time IPL champion and worked as a talent scout with Mumbai Indians.

He is now an assistant and batting coach at Gujarat Titans, working under head coach Ashish Nehra with captain Shubman Gill. He would reportedly have to give up that IPL role if appointed. On September 18, he posted a video on X with the line "Coming soon. I'm in." It is unclear whether the post relates to the selector's job.

Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan played 29 Tests for India as a Baroda all-rounder. He was part of the teams that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He now works as a commentator and analyst.

Aakash Chopra has named Pathan as a strong West Zone option because of his cricketing record. Chopra also said he had not spoken to Pathan, so it is not known whether he will apply. Pathan's 29 Tests would put him well above Ojha.

Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer played 31 Tests as a Mumbai opener. He scored five Test centuries, two of them double hundreds. He retired from all cricket in March 2020 and was the first player to reach 11,000 Ranji Trophy runs.

Chopra said Jaffer would bring "respect and sanity" to the panel. At 31 Tests, he has the most caps of the three. That would make him chairman on appointment.

Zaheer Khan, who played 92 Tests, was also linked with the job in earlier reports. He has since been named head coach of the Chennai Super Kings for the IPL 2027. Reports say that makes him unlikely to apply.

Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan has had associations with the India chief selector’s job in the past and is someone who possesses the best track record at cricket when compared to others in the race.

The veteran India and Mumbai fast bowler participated in 92 Tests and 200 ODIs during his career, which lasted for over a decade at international level.

But now that Zaheer has already joined as the head coach of the Chennai Super Kings, taking on any role on the selection panel of the BCCI seems very difficult for him.

Sameer Dighe

Sameer Dighe, an ex-India wicketkeeper, is yet another West Zone cricketer who fits the eligibility criteria set by BCCI.

Dighe played six Tests and 23 ODIs for India from 2000 to 2001 besides participating in 83 first-class games. Although he cannot beat Pragyan Ojha in terms of Test matches, his appearances in ODIs along with strong domestic credentials make up for the alternative criterion.

In addition, Sameer Dighe has experience of selection and coaching as well. He was part of the Mumbai selection committee since 2009 and has coached teams like Mumbai, Tripura, and Mumbai Indians.

With a background in Mumbai cricket and having been an India international, Dighe can be considered for the position of West Zone chief.

Major tournaments won under Ajit Agarkar

India won seven titles during Agarkar's time as chief selector and reached one World Cup final.

Three of those were ICC trophies. They were the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup. The one miss was the 2023 ODI World Cup final, which India lost to Australia in Ahmedabad.

The 2026 T20 World Cup was clearly the high point. India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the same Ahmedabad ground on March 8 to become the first back-to-back T20 champions, defending their crown from two years ago.

Sanju Samson scored a sensational 89 off 46 balls, while Jasprit Bumrah took 4/15 to make short work of the Kiwis. India's 255/5 was the highest total in a T20 World Cup final. India also became the first team to defend the title.

The wins were not only in ICC events, though. India also won the T20 Asia Cup in 2025, beating Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Dubai. They also won gold at the Asian Games twice. The latest came on October 3, when India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in Nisshin. Abhishek Sharma scored 61 off 28, and Tilak Varma made an unbeaten 51.

TournamentYearResultODI World Cup2023Runners-up, lost the final to AustraliaAsia Cup2023WinnersAsian Games (Hangzhou)2023Gold medalT20 World Cup2024WinnersChampions Trophy2025WinnersAsia Cup (T20)2025Winners, beat Pakistan by five wickets in the finalT20 World Cup2026Winners, beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the finalAsian Games (Nisshin)2026Gold medal, beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final

Gautam Gambhir pays tribute to Ajit Agarkar

India head coach Gautam Gambhir paid tribute to Agarkar on X on Wednesday, October 7. Gambhir wrote that it was an honour to work with Agarkar. He pointed to the three ICC trophies as proof of Agarkar's conviction and his "Team first" approach. He also said history would be kinder to Agarkar and wished him well for the future.

Gambhir took over as head coach from Rahul Dravid in July 2024, with the two working together on every major squad since. After India won the 2026 T20 World Cup, Gambhir also publicly credited Agarkar for working honestly through heavy criticism of selection calls.

His line about history is a reply to that criticism. Agarkar's panel was often questioned, mostly over Test cricket. India lost 0-3 at home to New Zealand in 2024 and 1-3 in Australia in 2025. They drew 2-2 in England and then lost 0-2 at home to South Africa in November 2025, including a 408-run defeat in Guwahati. India have won only two of their last seven Test series.

The record now splits in two. India dominated white-ball cricket under Agarkar, but the Test side slid. His successor will have to pick the Tests in New Zealand, which start in Wellington on November 19, and plan the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa. The ODI and Test squads for the New Zealand tour are yet to be announced.

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