Decision on Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector in 15 days: BCCI

Decision on Chief Selector’s Tenure

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Friday said the board would take a decision on the men’s senior selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar within the next 15 days, while clarifying that no discussion on any specific individual took place at the 95th Annual General Meeting (AGM). Speaking to reporters after the AGM at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, Saikia said the board still had time before Agarkar’s tenure ends next month. “No discussions were held today regarding any specific individual. We still have 15 days to go, and 15 days is a long time in the world of cricket. We will take a decision, and at the appropriate time, we will let you know about it,” he said.

BCCI’s Stance on Sports Act and Other Appointments

Sports Act

Saikia also said the BCCI would act on the Sports Act once the concerned authorities complete the required process and issue the necessary notification. He added that the board would soon advertise for the vacant Sports Science Head position. “Regarding the Sports Act, our stand is very clear. There are several things that are yet to be completed by the concerned authorities. Once that exercise is completed and once the BCCI falls under the Sports Act—for which a specific notification needs to be issued designating it as a recognised sport—until then, we are not supposed to do anything. Whenever that notification is issued, we will immediately spring into action. Whatever is required from our end, we will do as per the new Sports Act and the rules framed thereunder. As of today, there is nothing substantial. The matter was discussed recently in the Supreme Court, and we will provide clarification on the 27th of October when the case is next listed,” he said.

Sports Science Head Recruitment

Talking about the appointment of a Sports Science Head, he said, “We are releasing an advertisement very soon. We have already finalised the advertisement, and it will be out in the public domain shortly. We hope to recruit a competent person to fill that position.”

Fielding Coach’s Performance Review

On the appointment of Subhadeep Ghosh as India’s fielding coach, Saikia said the former has been given a short-term assignment and that his performance would be reviewed before a decision is taken on extending his tenure. “We have given him a short-term appointment, and we are reviewing his performance. Regarding the fielding coach of the Indian team, we appointed him for a short duration; he is also part of our Centre of Excellence (COE) as a fielding coach in Bengaluru. He was given a short-term assignment with the senior Indian team. We will evaluate his performance, and based on the feedback from the team management, a decision will be made on whether to extend his tenure. That final decision is yet to be taken,” said Saikia. Ghosh took over the role in August 2026.

Junior Selection Committee Formation

Saikia also talked about the Junior Selection Committee and said the BCCI had received a large number of applications for the Junior Selection Committee and was in the process of shortlisting candidates before forwarding the names to the Cricket Advisory Committee. “Regarding the Junior Selection Committee, we had requested applications, and we have received a very large number of applicants. We are currently shortlisting them, and once the shortlisting is completed, we will hand it over to our Cricket Advisory Committee. We have a cricket committee, which is the competent authority to select the selectors for the junior selection committee. That process is underway, and we are trying to complete it within the next 10 to 15 days to constitute the junior selection committee, because the tenure of all five selectors is ending very soon,” he said.

Tournament Updates

Border-Gavaskar Trophy Venue

On reports suggesting a possible change of venue for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series, scheduled to be held at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi in February next year, Saikia said the board had not received any such proposal. “There are still six to seven months left. There is no such matter in our knowledge, nor have we received any request or proposal stating that there are issues with the Ranchi Test,” he said.

IPL Window

Saikia also confirmed that the IPL window had been discussed at the previous Governing Council meeting and that the tournament would begin in the last week of March. “The IPL window was discussed in the last Governing Council meeting, and it will be starting in the last week of March,” said Saikia.

Key Decisions from 95th AGM

Age-Fraud Policy Update

The BCCI has updated its age-verification policies and issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for state associations following recent age-fraud cases in age-group cricket. “We have revisited our age-fraud policies and updated them. New Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued today. These guidelines must be strictly followed by all state-affiliated units for their age-group tournament teams,” said Saikia. Recent cases include Bengal leg-spinner Rohit Yadav, who received a two-year ban after discrepancies involving multiple birth certificates, and former India U-19 World Cup-winning pacer Ravi Kumar, whose age records were flagged.

Asia Cup Trophies

Regarding the Asia Cup trophies, Saikia said the BCCI expects to receive the trophies won by the Indian men’s and women’s teams, without providing a specific timeline. “The Asia Cup trophies, we hope they arrive soon. I won’t give you a strict timeline, but I can assure you that both trophies will eventually arrive and be placed right here at the BCCI headquarters at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai,” he said. India’s women’s team won the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai, while the men’s team won the previous edition. Both teams declined to accept their trophies from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President and Pakistan’s Interior Minister.

AGM Proceedings and Outcomes

The 95th BCCI AGM was held on Friday, with president Mithun Manhas, vice-president Rajeev Shukla, secretary Devajit Saikia, Bengal Cricket Association president Sourav Ganguly and Jharkhand State Cricket Association secretary Saurabh Tiwary among those present. Saikia said the meeting covered routine constitutional matters, including the adoption of accounts, approval of the next year’s budget and discussions on committees. “Our 95th AGM (Annual General Meeting), took place today. We held discussions on a lot of matters. All the routine affairs under the Constitution have been handled by us. Basically, the accounts had to be passed, next year’s budget had to be approved, and we had to discuss matters regarding the Ombudsman. Apart from this, there are various committees, and discussions were held regarding them. Most importantly, we discussed engaging and activating our state associations to provide support to cricketers in the physically challenged category. We finalised that today,” said Saikia.

The General Body adopted the audited statement of accounts for 2025-26, approved the 2026-27 annual budget and appointed auditors for the coming financial year. It also approved an enhanced payment structure and reclassification of grades for umpires and match referees, formed a new Internal Committee under the BCCI’s Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy and adopted an updated Age Verification Policy.

Centenary and IPL Celebrations

The General Body also decided to celebrate the 20th edition of the IPL in 2027 on a grand scale and initiate a year-long centenary celebration programme, beginning in December 2027 and continuing through 2028. “Apart from that, in December 2028, the BCCI will complete 100 years. So, we will celebrate the centenary celebrations for one year starting from December 2027; discussions were held regarding that. In the next four to five months, the 17th edition of the IPL is going to take place, and we discussed that it should be organised in a very grand way. A presentation on that was also held after the meeting. So, all these matters were discussed today,” Saikia added.

The AGM also discussed measures with state units to support differently-abled cricketers through appropriate facilities and resources.

Andaman & Nicobar Affiliation Kept Pending

Saikia also said the matter regarding associate membership for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Cricket Association had been kept pending after a representation from the entity that was not granted affiliation and a fresh legal application. “On the Andaman and Nicobar Islands issue, we constituted a committee comprising our Joint Secretary, Prabhtej Bhatia, and Governing Council member Khairul Majumdar. They submitted a report recommending one of the entities for affiliation. That recommendation was approved by the Apex Council in its previous meeting held on September 16. That recommendation, along with the Apex Council’s decision, was placed before the General Body today,” he said.

“However, just a day or two ago, we received a representation from the other entity that was not granted affiliation. They have approached the Bombay High Court again by filing an interlocutory application. A notice has been issued, so we have kept the matter pending as it has once again become subjudice,” added Saikia. (ANI)

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