VVS Laxman is reportedly poised to take over from Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector for the BCCI, following an unexpected turn of events involving Rohit Sharma’s retirement rumours.
IMAGE: Some BCCI office-bearers are considering appointing V V S Laxman, currently the Head of Cricket at the Centre of Excellence, as the next chairman of selectors. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points
- Ajit Agarkar’s extended tenure as chief selector is set to end next month, with an extension now unlikely.
- V V S Laxman, currently Head of Cricket at the Centre of Excellence, is emerging as the likely candidate to replace Agarkar.
- Controversy surrounding Rohit Sharma’s retirement rumours during the England ODI series has complicated Agarkar’s future.
- BCCI officials reportedly believe Laxman’s views would command greater respect from senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar is unlikely to receive another extension from the BCCI after his tenure ends next month with batting great V V S Laxman emerging as the likely candidate to replace him.
Agarkar’s term ended in June this year, but he was granted a three-month extension.
Having formed a good relationship with the team management, including coach Gautam Gambhir, the former Mumbai pacer looked set to continue till the 2027 ODI World Cup next year.
But following the controversy over Rohit Sharma’s retirement rumours during the ODI series in England last month, Agarkar now faces an uncertain future despite wanting to continue in the top post.
The Rohit Sharma Controversy
‘The major developments during the recent England tour changed the situation. Before the second ODI, reports emerged that Rohit Sharma’s international career was about to end after the ODI series in England.
But this was followed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stating, without consulting the chief selector, that Rohit would continue to play as long as he remained part of the team’s plans. Rohit’s subsequent century complicated matters instead of resolving them,’ said a report in Dainik Jagran.
The report further states that some BCCI office-bearers are now considering appointing Laxman, currently the Head of Cricket at the Centre of Excellence, as the next chairman of selectors.
‘BCCI officials believe that Laxman’s views would command greater respect and that senior players such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would be more receptive to him,’ the report added.
The final decision is likely to be taken at the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in September.
Under Agarkar’s chairmanship, the selected Indian teams between October 2023 to March 2026 reached four ICC tournament finals, winning three of them — two T20 World Cups and one ICC Champions Trophy.
During his tenure, the selection committee has taken several tough calls, including overseeing the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and gradually phasing out senior pacer Mohammed Shami from international cricket.
It also made a bold selection call, dropping Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup squad.
One of India’s batting greats Laxman has been serving as the Head of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru since December 2021. He has also stepped in as the temporary coach of the Indian team to help manage the workload of the coaching staff.
He managed the Indian team in Zimbabwe in 2024 when Shubman Gill was the captain. He was also the head coach at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 when Rahul Dravid was with the senior team for the ODI World Cup and more recently during India’s tour of Zimbabwe last month.
Laxman has also been named as India’s head coach for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September-October this year.
