15 days is a long time in cricket: BCCI secretary on Agarkar’s future as chief selector
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Friday refused to give a clear answer on the future of Ajit Agarkar as the chairman of the top selection committee, saying there are still 15 days left in his current tenure.
Agarkar presided over his last selection meeting of the current tenure in New Delhi on Wednesday teams for the upcoming Indian white ball series against the West Indies they were selected. His contract is set to expire on October 4.
Speaking to reporters after the BCCI’s 95th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai, Saikia said the board will take a decision at an appropriate time.
“We still have fifteen days to go. Fifteen days is a long time in the world of cricket. We will take a decision at an appropriate time and let you know about it. There was no discussion about any individual today,” Saikia said.
The BCCI AGM has not decided whether Agarkar will be extended or replaced. Instead, Officers of the Board were commissioned to accept the challenge of the future of the senior selection committee.
The uncertainty comes as India enter an important phase of their white-ball calendar. The next big task is the home series against New Zealand, while preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup gather pace in the coming months.
Agarkar’s absence from the BCCI’s assessment meeting earlier this month added to speculation about his position. Saikia then said that Agarkar was out of the station when the meeting was called at short notice and could not go online due to connectivity issues. He also said that changes in the selection committee were not discussed at that meeting.
The BCCI has also started the process of appointing a new junior selection committee. Saikia said that a large number of applications have been received and the process will be completed in the next 10-15 days.
JUNIOR PANEL
The BCCI secretary said that the new junior selection committee will be formed soon after the Cricket Advisory Committee completes the interview process.
“We have received a large number of applicants for the junior selection committee, which we will forward to our cricket committee, which will be competent to select the selections. We will try to complete the process in the next 10-15 days,” he said.
The BCCI invited applications for all five posts in the Junior Cricket Committee in August. The panel will be responsible for selecting India’s age-group teams up to the Under-22 level.
SHORT-TERM ROLE OF GHOSH
Saikia also clarified that the appointment of Subhadeep Ghosh as India’s men’s fielding coach is currently for a short period. Ghosh, a former Assam Ranji Trophy player, took over the role of fielding coach following the departure of T Dilip.
“The Indian men’s team coach (Subhadeep Ghosh) has been appointed for a short period, but we will evaluate his performance (for a longer tenure),” Saikia said.
His performance is expected to be assessed after the New Zealand tour, after which the BCCI could decide on his continuation in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
18 Sep 2026 20:38 IST