Agarkar's BCCI Tenure Ends, Patel and Ojha Frontrunners

Ajit Agarkar's tenure as the chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's senior men's selection committee is set to conclude in September 2026, with former India cricketers Parthiv Patel and Pragyan Ojha emerging as the leading candidates to succeed him. The development comes as the BCCI's 95th Annual General Meeting convened in Mumbai on Friday, September 18, with the appointment of a new chief selector listed as a key agenda item. Agarkar, who took charge of the selection panel on July 4, 2023, presided over what may have been his final selection meeting on Wednesday, September 16. During that meeting, squads were announced for the upcoming home whiteball series against the West Indies and the Rest of India side for the Irani Cup. His contract is due to expire this month, and while an extension was considered, reports indicate a section of the board feels his tenure has concluded. The reported rift between Agarkar and the BCCI appears to stem from a public contradiction by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia regarding the future of former captain Rohit Sharma. Earlier, selectors had indicated that Sharma was not part of their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.