Former Indian coach Rahul Dravid is likely to become the chief-selector replacing Ajit Agarkar’s after his term ends next month. According to News 18, BCCI could turn to the former India coach once Agarkar’s short extension ends in September.
The board has not confirmed anything, but the talk has picked up after the former Indian batter said he will remain with COE for the next few years. A few weeks ago there were talks that Laxman could take over as selector but the former Indian batter has made it clear that he is not going to take it up.
Rahul Dravid finished his coaching stint with the 2024 T20 World Cup win and has stayed largely away from the national side since. A return in the selection chair would put him back at the centre of team decisions ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle. The BCCI is still weighing options but Dravid looks like the most likely option for this role.
BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in September is expected to be an important point in determining the next course of action. There have been speculations about uncertainty surrounding Ajit Agarkar’s future as chairman of the senior men’s selection committee since the UK tour and his fallout with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia after rumours about Rohit Sharma’s retirement.
VVS Laxman Reveals Why He Rejected India Head Coach Job
Former Indian batter VVS Laxman said on Sunday that he turned down the India head coach job when the BCCI approached him after Rahul Dravid’s term finished with the 2024 T20 World Cup win. Speaking at a press conference at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Laxman confirmed that he stayed with the academy instead, extending his role there until 2026. The academy was still called the National Cricket Academy when he first took over from Dravid in 2021. It has since moved to a new campus and been rebranded the CoE. The former Indian batter said he wanted the systems properly set before he left.
‘Because (former BCCI secretary) Jay (Shah) and the BCCI gave me the freedom to execute my vision, and Devajit (Saikia, current BCCI secretary) continues to give me, I’ve extended (stint at CoE) for two years, and I committed to the BCCI that I’m not taking up the head coach position. You all know that I was approached back in 2024. I’ll make sure that I establish the CoE, its structure, the processes and the protocols before I move on, after the two years’ stay,’ Laxman said at a presser at the CoE on Sunday.
He has already circulated standard operating procedures for every department and described the work with young players and the shift to the larger facility as the parts of the job that mattered most to him. Laxman gave no hint of his own plans after 2026 and simply repeated that the freedom to finish the CoE setup was why he stayed.