Ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is seeking applications for two new selectors, which could mean some changes to the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee.
Discussions over who might step in and who could make way have been sparked by the announcement, which was delivered via a press release on Friday.
With a deadline of September 10 at 5 PM IST, the BCCI is now accepting new candidates. According to the regulations, applicants must have played at least seven Test matches or thirty first-class matches, or ten ODIs and twenty first-class matches, and must have been retired from cricket for at least five years. Additionally, they cannot have been on any BCCI cricket committee for more than five years in a row.
Although it is no longer required, zonal representation has historically affected the selection procedure. According to reports, the impending changes are the consequence of changes in the committee’s roles and responsibilities rather than performance appraisals.
According to reports, Pragyan Ojha will join the screening committee.
The senior selection committee now consists of five members: S. Sharath, Shiv Sundar Das, Ajay Ratra, Subroto Bannerjee, and chairman Ajit Agarkar. Agarkar’s position as head selector is safe because his contract has been extended to September 2026, which includes the upcoming T20 World Cup. It is anticipated that the South and Central zones will fill the two openings.
According to reports, Pragyan Ojha, a former spinner for India, is the front-runner to succeed departing selector Sridharan Sharath, who is expected to return to his old role as chairman of the junior selection panel. The Central Zone’s representative, Subroto Bannerjee, will also be replaced in the meantime. However, it is anticipated that Ajay Ratra and Shiv Sundar Das will stay in their existing positions.
It is believed that Sharath’s departure from the senior panel represents a reorganisation rather than a downgrade. The source claims that BCCI is not happy with how the present junior selection committee, led by Thilak Naidu, is performing. Given his background and prior achievements with the junior structure, Sharath was a logical choice to take over as its leader once more.
India has won the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and advanced to the 2023 ODI World Cup final under the Agarkar-led panel. The selection of Shubman Gill as Test captain after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from the longest format was also influenced by the committee.
Remarkably, with four members serving out their terms, the women’s selection committee, which is chaired by Neetu David, is also getting a makeover. The only one most likely to stay is Shyama Shaw, who was admitted in 2023.
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