NEW DELHI, Oct 8 – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opened the search for a new chairman of its men’s selection committee following the departure of Ajit Agarkar on October 4. The former pacer, who steered India’s white‑ball teams for more than three years, did not seek an extension, prompting the BCCI to invite applications for the single vacancy on the five‑member panel.
The vacancy is limited to a candidate from the West Zone, which covers Mumbai, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Baroda, Maharashtra and Vidarbha. Applicants must have played a minimum of seven Tests, 30 first‑class matches, or 10 ODIs and 20 first‑class games, and must have been retired for at least five years. Among those discussed, former wicket‑keeper‑batter Parthiv Patel is the leading contender. Patel’s 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is, combined with his experience as a talent scout and coach for the Gujarat Titans, make him a strong fit for the role.
Other prominent names include former all‑rounder Irfan Pathan, who appeared in 29 Tests and was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy victories, and former Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer, who earned 31 Tests and scored over 11,000 runs in the Ranji Trophy. Former wicket‑keeper Sameer Dighe, with six Tests and 23 ODIs, also meets the eligibility criteria through his extensive first‑class record and coaching background. While Zaheer Khan was once linked to the post, his appointment as head coach of the Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2027 makes him an unlikely candidate.
Agarkar leaves a mixed but largely successful white‑ball legacy. Under his stewardship, India captured the 2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy, 2026 T20 World Cup, 2023 Asia Cup, and 2025 T20 Asia Cup, and earned gold medals at the 2023 and 2026 Asian Games. The team finished runners‑up in the 2023 ODI World Cup, but its Test performances were less impressive, with a 0–3 home loss to New Zealand in 2024 and a 1–3 defeat in Australia in 2025.
