The tenure of Ajit Agarkar, the selection committee chief in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), might be coming to an end in a month’s time, with reports suggesting that the top bosses in the board are planning to replace him with VVS Laxman, the current head of the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Agarkar’s contract was set to end in June 2026, but he was given a three-month extension by the board. It was expected that the former pace bowler would get another extension that would keep him in the chair until the conclusion of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
However, the last few months have seen the situation get complex, especially with the drama around Rohit Sharma’s future in India’s ODI team. It was reported that the three-match ODI series against England would be Rohit’s last. According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the Agarkar-led selection committee had even spoken to the Gautam Gambhir-led team management about leaving Rohit out of subsequent assignments.
However, an unexpected twist occurred when news broke that the third ODI between India and England at Lord’s would be Rohit’s last. The Hitman went on to slam a century in that final match, putting both the selectors and the team management on the back foot.
Not long after the leak ahead of the third ODI, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also released a statement, apparently without speaking to Chief Selector Agarkar, asserting that Rohit will play as long as he is part of the team’s plans.
“Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team, and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, the Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match,” Saikia told PTI.
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It has also been reported that those managing affairs in the Indian team do not want Rohit to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Additionally, the BCCI had scheduled a review meeting for the eight losses out of ten matches in Ireland and England, but it has not yet taken place. The meeting was supposed to be held after the England tour, but the team has already travelled to Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series without the review being completed.
