Finally, it has been confirmed that Ajit Agarkar will not continue as BCCI chief selector once his current tenure ends on October 4, 2026. BCCI was to discuss the extension of Ajit Agarkar’s contract as chief of the selection committee at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). However, before that, Ajit Agarkar himself spoke to the BCCI, saying that he didn’t want to continue.
A former India cricketer, Agarkar picked 58 wickets in 26 Tests, 288 wickets in 191 ODIs, and 3 wickets in 4 T20Is. He was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad and, after retiring from the game, moved into selector roles, beginning with the Mumbai Ranji Team. He was appointed as BCCI chief selector in 2023, replacing Chetan Sharma, and we take a look at five achievements of Ajit Agarkar as India’s selector.
Here are the 5 major achievements of Ajit Agarkar as India’s chief selector:
5. Managing the captaincy transition well
Under Ajit Agarkar, the Indian team saw two major captaincy changes across formats. Despite winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Rohit Sharma was removed from captaincy, and Shubman Gill was given the reins. Shubman Gill was also given the Test captaincy after Rohit Sharma’s poor form in the format led to his retirement.
Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form in T20Is cost him his captaincy and spot in the team despite India winning the T20 World Cup 2026, and Shreyas Iyer was named the new captain. These changes were questioned a lot, but Agarkar managed to manage the transition well and give the captains space to make the team their own.
4. Giving chances to new players
In both the Test and T20 versions, Agarkar’s panel continued to uphold its stance of emphasising future potential despite the criticism being directed at them by fans and media. Top cricketers like Shami, Chahal, Bhuvneshwar, and other senior players were neglected, while new players like Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and others were picked.
Despite some of them failing to shine on the big stage, Ajit Agarkar and Indian team management continued to find new talent via domestic cricket and IPL to continuously feed the Indian main team and have options for the current players as well. This remains one of Agarkar’s biggest achievements.
3. India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win
Ajit Agarkar was at the helm when the Indian team ended their ICC trophy drought of over a decade by winning the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. India went through to the final unbeaten, while defeating Australia and England in crucial matches.
Rohit Sharma led well in captaincy and with the bat, as they defeated Pakistan as well in the group stages. The win was necessary to dull the pain of the 2023 World Cup loss, where Rohit Sharma and co. reached the finals unbeaten as well but were destroyed by Australia in the final. Agarkar’s selection choices were praised as well.
2. ICC Champions Trophy 2025 win
India had not won an ICC 50-over event since the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and went to Dubai in order to end that drought as well. The trophy was hosted by Pakistan, but India played their games in Dubai and won the tournament undefeated under Rohit Sharma. India defeated Pakistan, Australia, and New Zealand to become champions.
Ajit Agarkar took some big decisions, such as making Rishabh Pant the backup wicket-keeper and opting to pick Varun Chakaravarthy in the squad and dropping Mohammed Siraj given the conditions. He backed Harshit Rana a lot, as India needed someone who could hit big shots in death at no. 8 and contribute 10 overs. He has pushed for more all-rounders in the India XI, especially in ODIs, and has identified players for the same.
1. T20 World Cup 2026 win
India hosted the T20 World Cup 2026, and many expected them to defend their title. India faced some hiccups against the USA and lost to South Africa as well. But they adapted well to conditions and managed to win the trophy, becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup three times and the first team to win the trophy two consecutive times.
Ajit Agarkar was bold in his decision, dropping Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill just before the tournament and bringing in Ishan Kishan, rewarding him for his Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win. The move proved to be a big one, and his choices of bowlers for the tournament were spot on. There were many such decisions that Ajit Agarkar made that made the Indian team so dominant in world cricket today.
