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Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up about his conversation with outgoing chief selector Ajit Agarkar around the time of his retirement. Ashwin revealed that he had personally called Agarkar before announcing his decision to retire. According to Ashwin, Agarkar described it as a personal decision.
Ashwin also praised Agarkar for the way he handled his tenure as chairman of the selection committee, despite being one of the senior players who was phased out during his time in charge.
Ashwin Recalls Conversation With Agarkar
Agarkar was at the helm of the selection committee during a period of transition in Indian cricket. Several senior players moved out of the setup during his tenure, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their Test retirements.
Ashwin was also among the experienced players who brought their international careers to an end during this phase. He announced his retirement midway through the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, following the third Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.
“Honestly, I know Ajit Agarkar quite well and we also talked during the time of my retirement. I called him and said that I am going to retire and then he said that he felt it was a personal decision,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
The former spinner admitted that Agarkar had to take several difficult calls while managing the transition and said the job would not have been easy.
“The fact is that Ajit Agarkar had the responsibility to take a lot of big decisions in this stint; he had to phase out the senior players; it can’t be easy. I was one of the senior players phased out during his tenure, but still, by keeping some distance from that, I want to say that he has been a very good chairman of selectors,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin Urges Players To See The Other Side
Ashwin also said players often look at selection decisions from a personal point of view. He believes it is important to understand the position of those making such decisions.
“If we look at what all he has done with the team. Many times we always talk from an ego’s point of view, or from our personal relationships, but we all make the mistake of not putting ourselves in their shoes,” the former Indian cricketer added.
India's performance under Agarkar's tenure
Agarkar replaced Chetan Sharma as chairman of selectors in 2023 and remained in the role for nearly three years. During his tenure, India won two T20 World Cups and also secured the Champions Trophy title in 2025.