New Delhi. Discussions have intensified regarding the future of Indian cricket team Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet made any official announcement regarding extending Agarkar's tenure or appointing a new chief selector, but in the meantime, the name of former Indian wicketkeeper batsman Parthiv Patel has come up as a possible candidate. According to the report, the name of Parthiv Patel is being discussed within the BCCI for the last six months. In such a situation, the picture regarding the leadership of the selection committee may become clear in the coming days.
The possibility of Agarkar getting an extension is not completely over at the moment. However, according to information quoting sources related to Indian cricket, if there is no agreement between BCCI and Agarkar regarding the new tenure, then Parthiv Patel can be given the command of the selection committee. The board has not yet taken any final decision in this regard. BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla definitely said after the Annual General Meeting that the board officials have been authorized to take a decision on this issue.
Ajit Agarkar recently selected the Indian team for the ODI and T20 series against West Indies. Apart from this, the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup was also selected by the selection committee headed by him. According to the report, this could be Agarkar's last selection meeting as the chairman of the current selection committee. However, this has not been officially confirmed yet.
The discussion about Agarkar's condition had also increased when he did not attend an important review meeting of Indian cricket. Many important people including top BCCI officials, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20 captain Shreyas Iyer and Center of Excellence head VVS Laxman were present in this meeting. BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia had said that the reason for Agarkar's absence was that he was out of the city.
At the same time, the name of Parthiv Patel as the possible new Chief Selector is also special because he has long experience in international cricket. 41-year-old Parthiv has played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and 2 T20 Internationals for India. If he becomes the chairman of the selection committee, he will be the most experienced member in terms of Test matches in the current panel. In the current panel, Shivsundar Das has played 23 tests, Pragyan Ojha has played 24 tests, RP Singh has played 14 tests and Ajay Ratra has played 6 tests.
Even after retirement, Parthiv Patel is continuously associated with cricket. He currently serves as the assistant and batting coach of Gujarat Titans and also does commentary as per availability. According to the report, he was likely to get a big responsibility with Gujarat Titans in the next IPL season but if BCCI appoints him as the chairman of the selection committee, then the franchise may have to make changes in its coaching setup.
The coming time is also very important for the Indian team. Preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup are underway and the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle is also underway. In such a situation, BCCI's decision regarding the leadership of the selection committee will be important for the future plans of Team India. At present, the final decision on Agarkar's future is pending and Parthiv Patel's name remains in discussion as a possible option.