Ashwin Praises Agarkar Despite Being Phased Out

Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Ajit Agarkar’s work as India’s chief selector, saying the role required difficult decisions about senior players even though Ashwin considers himself among those phased out during Agarkar’s tenure. Ashwin made the comments on his YouTube channel, where he also described a conversation with Agarkar around the time he decided to retire from international cricket. Ashwin said he called Agarkar to tell him of his decision and that Agarkar regarded it as a personal choice. The account of the private exchange comes from Ashwin; the reports provide no independent confirmation from Agarkar. Ashwin said Agarkar had responsibility for major selection decisions and described him as a very good chairman of selectors. He urged people to consider the pressures of the position rather than assess decisions solely through personal relationships or the interests of individual players. Ashwin’s remarks were notable because he said he was among the senior players moved on during Agarkar’s tenure. Agarkar became chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India selection committee in 2023, replacing Chetan Sharma.