India chief selector Ajit Agarkar was not present at the BCCI review meeting held at the board’s headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday, September 3.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia were among those who attended the meeting.
ALSO READ: Not Gautam Gambhir, India To Have New Head Coach For Asian Games 2026
Agarkar’s absence immediately led to speculation among fans, with many wondering whether the BCCI could decide against renewing his contract. His current term as chairman of the senior men’s selection committee is set to end in September 2026.
Will Agarkar continue as chief selector?
However, The Daily Jagran understands that Agarkar missed the meeting due to personal reasons, and his absence should not be linked to any decision regarding his future with the selection committee at this stage.
What was discussed in the BCCI review meeting?
The meeting primarily focused on the recent performances of the Indian men’s team. The team management and BCCI officials discussed what has gone right for India and the areas where the side needs to improve.
Injury concerns were also discussed, with several players dealing with fitness issues. Hardik Pandya’s fitness remains one of the concerns, while the team management also looked at its plans for some important assignments ahead.
India are set to face a demanding schedule, with a multi-format tour of New Zealand, a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at home and, eventually, the 2027 ODI World Cup among the major challenges on the horizon.
Fitness concerns have once again come into focus after India’s squad announcement for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.
India’s search for a quality off-spinner
Another important issue for the Indian team is the shortage of quality spinners, particularly off-spinners.
India felt the absence of a reliable off-spinner during the recent tour of Sri Lanka. The lack of options in that department became more noticeable during the second Test, which India failed to win.
The issue could become even more important with Australia coming to India for a five-Test series. Australia are expected to have several left-handed batters in their line-up, which could make the off-spin option particularly useful.
At present, Washington Sundar is India’s only experienced off-spinner in contention. However, Sundar himself has been dealing with an injury.
If he gets fit, the team management could look to manage his workload carefully after the New Zealand tour, with the five-Test series against Australia likely to be a major priority.
Keeping Sundar fit for such a long series will be another challenge for the Indian team.
There was a time when India had experienced off-spinners such as Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin to fall back on. Ashwin retired from international cricket in 2024 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Two years later, India are preparing for another major Test assignment against Australia, but the search for a second established off-spinner has still not produced the desired result.
The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and the selectors will now have to work on finding more options in the spin department, especially with a packed Test schedule ahead.