Ajit Agarkar urges BCCI to extend tenure till 2027 WC:Will board reward chief selector for T20 WC heroics despite red-ball failure?

Men’s senior selection committee’s chairman Ajit Agarkar is looking for another extension from BCCI after Team India successfully defended the T20 World Cup trophy at home this year on 8 March. Notably, after Men in Blue won the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India rewarded the ex-cricketer with a one-year extension. For India’s white-ball dominance, Agarkar’s contract got extended from August 2025 to June 2026. With another record victory in the latest ICC tournament, it has been learned through The Times of India that Ajit Agarkar will extend his stint till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Another chief selector contender from West Zone, Agarkar riding T20 WC glory The former Indian cricketer sending out a request for his contract extension does not mean that he’ll surely get it. However, the timing of his plea stands out as India kept T20 WC trophy safe in back-to-back ICC tournaments. Also, as per the TOI report, BCCI right now don’t have a better candidate than Agarkar, under whose stint Team India won a hat-trick of ICC events. It has been learnt that another former Indian cricketer from the West Zone was the contender to succeed Agarkar. However, there is no solid proof of development regarding the board’s interest in his candidature. Also Read: 6 factors how franchises can achieve ‘Mission-300’: Will fans witness first ever 300-run total in IPL history? Whether the board grants Agarkar another extension or initiates discussions with a potential candidate remains to be seen. Ajit Agarkar took charge as men’s selection committee chairman in 2023 Ajit Agarkar has been chairman of the men’s senior selection committee since June 2023, and India have won three ICC titles since then, two T20 World Cups and one Champions Trophy. However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine with the red-ball format. India lost back-to-back Test series at home and even suffered an away defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It has dulled India’s excellence in white-ball cricket, including the 2023 and 2025 Asia Cup trophies. Also Read: ‘Stopped drinking alcohol’, Yuzi Chahal opens up on rough patch: With 200+ int’l wickets, he hasn’t played for India in 3 years Transition triggered under Agarkar with Kohli, Rohit, and Ashwin’s retirements During the ex-India cricketer’s tenure, India have undergone transitions across Tests, ODI, and T20I formats. Pillars of Men in Blue’s last decade, like Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli, announced retirements in at least one format. Although Kohli and Rohit continue to play ODIs, Ashwin has retired from all formats. Even Ro-Ko’s spot in the 2027 World Cup is not sure. So far, chairman Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have not confirmed the presence of India’s greatest cricketers in the 50-over ICC tournament. Agarkar said at NDTV World Summit 2025, “Look, they [Rohit and Kohli] are part of the squad at the moment for Australia. In two years, we don’t know what the situation is going to be. So why just them two? It could be some other younger players.” “It’s still a long way away. We’ll see how the team shapes up, but we have some ideas, and as we go along, we’ll probably have a better idea of where the team is progressing,” he added. Both Agarkar and Gambhir don’t share different opinions, repeatedly urging everyone to “stay in the present”. Now that the selection committee chairman is eyeing tenure till the 2027 WC, it’ll be worth watching what BCCI has in the bag for India’s greatest cricketers and one of India’s most successful selectors. How is the performance of selectors decided at the BCCI? The selectors are reviewed every year at the BCCI AGM. It’s worth noting that the last committee to complete its tenure – 3+1 years – was MSK Prasad’s committee. It featured names like Sarandeep Singh, Gagan Khoda, Devang Gandhi and Jatin Paranjape.