Pragyan Ojha becomes chief selector after Ajit Agarkar’s exit, Ramesh Powar joins BCCI panel

He will take over the duties from Ajit Agarkar. For those unversed, Agarkar’s tenure as the chairman of the selection committee ended on October 4, 2026, and he did not seek any extension.

Meanwhile, former Indian spinner Ramesh Powar has been inducted into the senior selection panel, which will consist of five members, including Shiv Sundar Das, RP Singh and Ajay Ratra.

Powar has been inducted into the panel after a selection process conducted by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), including Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape.

In a statement, BCCI said, ”The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Mr Ashok Malhotra and Mr Jatin Paranjape, conducted a selection process for the appointment of a member of the Men’s Selection Committee. The CAC met at the BCCI HQ to screen and interview applicants and, following the process, unanimously recommended the appointment of Mr Ramesh Powar.”

”Powar represented India in 2 Tests and 31 ODIs during his international playing career. He has since held major coaching roles, including Head Coach of the India Women’s team, Mumbai and Gujarat, as well as Bowling Coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. During his stint with the India Women’s team, he guided them to an Asia Cup title as well as a Commonwealth Games silver medal,” the statement added.

Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector

Ajit Agarkar became the chief selector in July 2023 and his three-year term ended earlier this month. Since he informed the BCCI that he did not wish to seek an extension, the board subsequently invited applications to fill the post.

During Agarkar’s tenure, the Indian men’s team witnessed one of the most successful periods as the Men in Blue reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and won the T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026, as well as the Champions Trophy in 2025. Apart from this, India also won two men’s Asia Cup titles.