Ajit Agarkar’s exit as India’s chief selector has reportedly been linked to growing differences with the BCCI, with the future of former captain Rohit Sharma becoming one of the biggest reasons. The situation reportedly became challenging because of differences involving the BCCI Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman and the board’s current decision-makers.
But the major turning point came when Agarkar did not attend an important review meeting in Mumbai after the England tour. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia defended Agarkar, but some officials reportedly felt that the chief selector should have been present for such an important discussion. Earlier, BCCI discussed making VVS Laxman chief selector alongside CoE head role.
Rohit Sharma’s ICC ODI World Cup 2027dream sparks major rift in Indian cricket
The Indian selection committee, team management and key BCCI officials reportedly decided to move away from Rohit Sharma after the Lord’s ODI before the England tour. South Zone selector Pragyan Ojha, who is known to be close to Rohit, was asked to communicate the decision.
Rohit, who wants to play the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, was reportedly not happy with the call and spoke to a senior BCCI administrator about his concerns over the way he was being treated by the current team management and Agarkar.
Later, Devajit Saikia dismissed the air by confirming Rohit is very much in India’s ODI plans as long as he performs and maintains fitness. This created a rift among the decision-makers.
Rohit Sharma’s future behind the BCCI-Ajit Agarkar rift
As reported by PTI, Ajit Agarkar was open to continuing until the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, but the BCCI had been giving signals that it wanted a new face. The board also reportedly wanted a slower approach regarding Rohit Sharma’s future since he plays only the ODI format.
However, Agarkar felt Yashasvi Jaiswal needed around 20 ODIs before the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 to settle into the format. The argument for Rohit was that he was still scoring regularly in ODIs, while Agarkar had concerns about his effectiveness in South African conditions.
Despite his success, Agarkar’s relationship with the BCCI had become strained. A key issue was reportedly the belief within the board that decisions involving big players like Rohit are not handled only by selectors and also involve senior administrators. And that interference Agarkar didn’t like.
A senior BCCI official told PTI: “That was perhaps the day when Ajit knew that it would be very difficult for him to continue. In fact, he had no inkling that a media statement was issued by the BCCI. He understood that going forward, the call on big names won’t be his prerogative.”
Ajit Agarkar and VVS Laxman’s differences exposed
Not just that, Agarkar and VVS Laxman reportedly had differences over several key matters, including India’s Asian Games selection, where the CoE head questioned the need to send a strong team. Amid this, ‘Random Guy’ to India cap: Kris Srikkanth questions Yash Thakur’s selection.
India A’s scheduling also became a problem as Tests clashed with the Irani Cup and India’s white-ball series. Disagreements also emerged over injury updates and the handling of centrally contracted players.
Laxman reportedly felt the CoE was blamed for issues beyond its control. After Agarkar skipped the major review meeting, relations had already reached a breaking point, making his exit almost certain.