When Ajit Agarkar and BCCI clashed over Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy

The possible exit of Ajit Agarkar as India’s chief selector has once again brought attention to the way the BCCI and the selection committee have worked together. The differences between Ajit Agarkar and the board reportedly did not begin with the later controversy around Rohit Sharma.

In fact, the tension was started when Agarkar had only recently taken charge in 2023. One of the first big disagreements reportedly came during the selection of India’s squad for the two-match T20I series against Ireland in August 2023. Agarkar and the BCCI were not on the same page over the choice of captain. Amid this, Suryakumar Yadav confirms IPL 2027 status with Mumbai Indians.

Ajit Agarkar’s BCCI tussle began in 2023 over Ireland tour captaincy call

As Ajit Agarkar wanted Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead India in Ireland. Gaikwad was also named India’s captain for the 2023 Asian Games, which meant the Ireland series could have given him valuable leadership experience ahead of that tournament

However, the BCCI preferred Jasprit Bumrah for the role. Bumrah was returning to international cricket after spending months on the sidelines because of injury, but the board reportedly felt he was keen to take up the leadership responsibility.

Agarkar’s reported concern was mainly about managing Bumrah’s workload. He felt giving Gaikwad the captaincy would have allowed Bumrah to concentrate more on his return and bowling duties. But the BCCI eventually backed Bumrah, and India went on to win the Ireland T20I series 2-0.

Ajit Agarkar trusted his own judgement, but Rohit Sharma saga changed everything

The Ireland episode gives a glimpse into Agarkar’s approach as chief selector. Agarkar may not have received enough credit for his work as chief selector, but he was known to have strong belief in his own decisions. He reportedly trusted his judgement while making selections and tried to stay away from outside pressure as much as possible.

The situation involving Rohit Sharma later became much more complicated. Agarkar was reportedly unhappy with the BCCI’s public backing of the former Indian captain, as it made it difficult to move ahead with a decision involving Rohit’s future.

Now, with Agarkar’s exit expected, the next chief selector will have a difficult job ahead. The person taking over will not only have to make tough selection calls but will also have to manage the relationship between the selectors and the BCCI when opinions do not match. Amid this, Sanath Jayasuriya reveals the secret behind Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking century.

Ajit Agarkar was given free hand by BCCI for major decisions

Meanwhile, the same The Telegraph report suggested that Ajit Agarkar was given freedom by the BCCI to handle several major decisions during his time as India’s chief selector. One of the biggest moments came in May 2025, when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket.

Both players had already retired from T20Is after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph but continued to remain available for ODIs. Agarkar also made another big call by leaving T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav out of India’s next assignment.

Addressing the rumors, Agarkar made it clear that both decisions were personal choices by the players and were not forced by the BCCI.

Source: cricketaddictor.com