Ajit Agarkar Deputed Away From Indian Team, Other Selectors To Oversee IND vs AFG T20Is

Ajit Agarkar not to be with India during Afghanistan T20Is | PC- AFP

A lot was expected from the BCCI's recent meeting in Mumbai, where BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia hosted two Indian captains - Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer - alongside the head coach Gautam Gambhir and CoE's head VVS Laxman. 

Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection panel, was absent from the BCCI meeting. 

Apart from Rohit Sharma's future, a major development involving Agarkar and his fellow selectors has come to light from the recent meeting. 

Ajit Agarkar to oversee Duleep Trophy 2026 final instead of IND vs AFG T20Is

According to a Cricbuzz report, the BCCI has decided to send Team India's Chief Selector, Ajit Agarkar, to Chennai for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final, alongside two of his other selectors. Meanwhile, the remaining two selectors will be in New Delhi for the three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan. 

“He (Ajit Agarkar) is expected to show up for the Duleep Trophy final, starting September 6. It is being said that he will be in Chennai for the five-day red-ball game, along with a couple of his colleagues. Two other selectors are expected to be deputed to Delhi for the T20I series against Afghanistan,” the report stated. 

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Notably, Agarkar has remained a constant on the road with the Men in Blue in recent times, having travelled to Sri Lanka and England to oversee the team. 

However, the Indian board has changed the Chief Selector’s duty, at least for the upcoming international assignment. 

IND vs AFG T20Is not to collide with Duleep Trophy 2026 final

That said, the Duleep Trophy 2026 final would not clash with the IND vs AFG T20Is. The five-day fixture will run between September 6 and 10. The first T20I between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for September 13.

Additionally, Ishan Kishan & Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who are in the East Zone, and South Zone’s skipper Tilak Varma will participate first in the five-day fixture, before rushing to the capital city from Chennai as soon as the Duleep Trophy final concludes.

Thus, Ajit Agarkar could also travel from Chennai and Delhi to oversee both assignments. However, the BCCI doesn’t want that. 

Is Ajit Agarkar’s term as Chief Selector ending?

Reportedly, Ajit Agarkar’s extended term as Team India’s Chief Selector is scheduled to end this September. The former Indian quick took the chair in July 2023, with his tenure originally set to end in June this year. 

However, the BCCI gave Agarkar a three-month extension, and he might get a longer rope to assist Team India until the ODI World Cup 2027. 

That said, speculation arose when the Chief Selector skipped the recent BCCI meeting, but BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia played down his absence, stating ‘he was out of station’ and it ‘wasn’t a selection meeting’. 

"He (Ajit Agarkar) was out of station, so he could not be a part of the meeting. The meeting was called at very short notice, and our chairman of the selection committee, Ajit, was not in town. So he could not join the meeting, and he was in an area where he could not join online either, despite our best efforts,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia remarked.

“Today, we did not have any selection meeting. There was no such discussion in today’s meeting,” the BCCI secretary added.

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