Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a new senior men's selection committee, consisting of Pragyan Ojha Will take charge as Chairman. The five-member panel will play a key role in forming India's teams across formats, identifying emerging talent and taking key decisions for upcoming international assignments.
Who is Pragyan Ojha, India's new chief selector?
Pragyan Ojha is a former Indian left-arm spinner, who represented the country in all three international formats. He played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20 Internationals between 2008 and 2013.
Ojha enjoyed many memorable moments during his international career, particularly in Test cricket, where his ability to extract turn and trouble the batsmen made him a vital part of India's bowling attack. He has also been a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which he represented franchises like Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians (MI).
His appointment puts him in a prime position to assess talent and determine India's cricketing direction. As chairman, he will collaborate with other selectors to evaluate domestic performance, international form, fitness and team combinations.
The committee's decisions will be especially important as India prepare for major international tournaments while managing the transition to different formats.
Ramesh Pawar included in the selection committee
Ramesh Pawar The latest addition to the panel is. The former Indian off-spinner represented the country in two Tests and 31 ODIs during his playing career.
After retiring from international cricket, Pawar took up coaching and held several important roles. She served as the head coach of the Indian women's team and also worked with the Mumbai and Gujarat teams. Apart from this, he also served as the bowling coach at the BCCI Center of Excellence.
His experience in coaching and player development could prove valuable for selectors when assessing domestic performances and potential additions to India's international teams.
The BCCI also acknowledged Agarkar's contributions during his tenure. Under the previous committee, Indian cricket enjoyed considerable success in major international competitions, making this transition an important moment for the selection setup.
Shiv Sunder Das, RP Singh and Ajay Ratra complete the panel
The other three members bring their international sporting experience to the selection committee.
Shiv Sunder Das is a former Indian opening batsman, who represented the country in Test and ODI cricket. His experience as a top-order batsman provides useful perspective when evaluating batting talent.
RP Singh is a former Indian left-arm fast bowler who played a key role in the country's success in limited overs cricket. He was part of India's victorious campaign at the inaugural ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007 and was also included in the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning squad.
Ajay Ratraa former wicketkeeper-batsman, represented India in Test and ODI cricket. His background as a wicketkeeper provides the panel with experience in assessing wicketkeepers across different formats and the demands of the role.
Together, these five selectors will be responsible for identifying the right balance between experienced international players and potential domestic performers.