BCCI Reviews India’s Ireland, England Tours Without Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was absent from the BCCI’s review meeting on India’s recent limited-overs tours of Ireland and England on Thursday, adding fresh intrigue around his future with the board.

The meeting, held at the BCCI headquarters, came after a disappointing overseas campaign for India. The team suffered a 0-2 defeat against Ireland before heading to England, where it lost the five-match T20I series 1-4 and went down 1-2 in the ODI series.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the meeting had been convened at short notice and Agarkar was out of station. Despite attempts to connect him virtually, the chairman of the senior men’s selection committee could not join the discussions.

The review was attended by Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, director of cricket at the Centre of Excellence, along with senior BCCI officials.

Agarkar’s absence also drew attention because his current contract is scheduled to run until the end of September. However, Saikia made it clear that the board did not discuss any extension during Thursday’s meeting.

The secretary said the discussions were limited to assessing India’s performances on the Ireland and England tours, along with concerns surrounding player fitness and recurring injuries.

Agarkar has overseen a significant phase in Indian cricket since taking charge of the selection committee. During his tenure, India reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final and won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and 2026.

His tenure has also coincided with major transitions, including the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Tests and T20Is, as well as the retirement of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

With his contract nearing its deadline, Agarkar’s next move and the BCCI’s decision on his future are now likely to attract considerable attention.