Why was Ajit Agarkar not present in the BCCI meeting? Devajit Saikia reveals the reason

Why did Ajit Agarkar not attend the BCCI meeting? (Agency images) BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Thursday clarified chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s absence from the board’s review meeting while dismissing speculation about changes in the senior men’s selection panel.Agarkar was not present at the meeting, which focused on India’s recent performances and the team’s preparations for a busy international calendar leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.Saikia explained that Agarkar was out of station when the meeting was called at short notice and could not join virtually as he was in an area with poor connectivity.“Today (Agarkar) was out of station, so he could not attend the meeting. As this meeting was called at very short notice and our head of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, was not in the city, he could not join it and he was in such an area that he could not even join online despite our efforts,” Saikia told reporters after the meeting.

No discussion on future of Agarkar or New Director Of Cricket

Saikia also dismissed reports suggesting that Agarkar’s tenure could be coming to an end or that the BCCI was considering changes in the senior selection panel.“There was no such discussion at today’s meeting about this. I do not comment on new rumours. We had no such discussions nor had any such intentions,” he said.The BCCI secretary also ruled out any discussion on the appointment of a director of cricket for the men’s team. According to Saikia, the meeting was primarily focused on taking stock of India’s performances in recent tours and charting preparations for the next phase of the international calendar.“There was no discussion in the selection committee. Our entire focus was on the performances in England and Ireland as well as the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and what we will do in the upcoming series before the ODI World Cup, which is our ultimate goal,” he said.The meeting, Saikia clarified, was not about deciding the selection of individual players or determining combinations in terms of format.“We haven’t discussed all these things about team selection, team mix, who will play in what format. The selectors will come to that. The selectors were not part of the discussion today. So when the selectors meet to pick the team for the West Indies series and then for the New Zealand series, they will consider what parameters they will consider,” concluded Saikia.

India’s journey to the 2027 FIFA World Cup begins in earnest

India will face a busy schedule in the next few months, with the team playing Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series ahead of the Asian Games in Japan later this month. West Indies will then visit India for three ODIs and five T20Is, followed by a demanding multi-format tour of New Zealand with two Tests, five ODIs and five T20Is.India will then host Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is before taking on Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series in January 2027. The highlight will be the five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia from January to March 2027.