The selection room that picked three ICC titles in three years has a new boss. The BCCI on Monday announced that former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha will take over as chairperson of the men’s senior selection committee, replacing Ajit Agarkar, while former India spinner Ramesh Powar has been appointed as a new selector on the five-member panel.
The announcement, which followed a selection process run by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee, puts the country’s two most consequential cricketing committees in new hands at a moment when the calendar is only getting busier. India is in the middle of a packed home season and heads to New Zealand for a full tour, and it is this new panel that will now decide the squads, the combinations and, ultimately, the balance of the team.
How the change came about
Agarkar’s tenure came to an end on October 4 after he decided not to seek an extension. Appointed in July 2023, the former India fast bowler oversaw one of the most successful stretches in Indian cricket history: the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cup titles, the 2025 Champions Trophy, two Asia Cup crowns and back-to-back Asian Games gold medals. The BCCI, in its announcement, acknowledged his contribution and credited the committee with steering the team through that period.
With one seat vacant, the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape conducted interviews at the BCCI headquarters and unanimously recommended Powar for the role. Alongside that appointment, the board confirmed that Ojha would chair the panel. Under BCCI norms, the chairperson’s chair goes to the selector with the greatest seniority, measured by the number of Tests played, and Ojha’s 24 Tests put him comfortably ahead of the rest of the committee.
The new panel in full
The reconstituted committee has five members:
- Pragyan Ojha (chairperson)
- Shiv Sundar Das
- RP Singh
- Ajay Ratra
- Ramesh Powar
Ojha’s elevation is remarkably quick. He was inducted into the men’s selection committee only in September 2025, at the BCCI’s 94th Annual General Meeting, alongside RP Singh, and now leads it after just over a year on the panel. The former left-arm spinner represented India in 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20Is, and was among the country’s most dependable slow bowlers of his generation.
What Powar brings to the table
Powar fills the vacancy left by Agarkar, and his appointment adds a rare combination to the panel: international playing experience and a serious coaching record. The Mumbai-born spinner played two Tests and 31 ODIs for India, but it is his post-retirement work that sets him apart. He served as head coach of the India women’s team, guiding the side to an Asia Cup title and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, and later coached Mumbai and Gujarat in domestic cricket, besides a stint as bowling coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
That background matters. A selector who has sat in the coach’s chair, worked with domestic systems and been inside a national dressing room brings a different eye to talent, particularly when judging bowlers, their workloads and their temperament. The CAC clearly felt the panel needed that perspective, and its unanimous recommendation carried the day.
Why the timing matters
Selection committees rarely take charge at quiet moments, and this one is no exception. The new panel inherits a team that is winning plenty but also facing genuine questions: the shape of the Test attack in overseas conditions, the balance between established stars and emerging talent, and how to keep a packed multi-format calendar from grinding key players down.
The committee’s calls will be judged quickly. Every squad announcement from here on, from T20 experiments to the composition of the Test bowling group, will carry the fingerprints of this five-member panel. Ojha, in particular, will be watched closely, since the chairperson sets the tone, and the tone of a selection committee decides as much as its individual picks.
FAQs
Who is the new BCCI chief selector?
Pragyan Ojha has been appointed chairperson of the BCCI men’s senior selection committee, succeeding Ajit Agarkar. The former left-arm spinner played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20Is for India and was inducted into the committee in September 2025.
Who is the new selector on the panel?
Ramesh Powar, the former India off-spinner who played two Tests and 31 ODIs, has been appointed as a selector. He previously coached the India women’s team, Mumbai and Gujarat, and worked as bowling coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
How was Powar’s appointment decided?
The BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, interviewed applicants at the board’s headquarters and unanimously recommended Powar for the vacant selector’s post.
Who are the members of the new selection committee?
The five-member panel is: Pragyan Ojha (chairperson), Shiv Sundar Das, RP Singh, Ajay Ratra and Ramesh Powar.
Why did Ajit Agarkar leave?
Agarkar’s tenure ended on October 4, 2026, after he decided not to seek an extension. During his time in charge from July 2023, India won the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups and the 2025 Champions Trophy, along with two Asia Cups and back-to-back Asian Games gold medals.
The men who picked the team behind the trophies have changed. What has not changed is the weight of the job: choose right, and India keeps winning; choose wrong, and the debate follows every squad announcement. That is the scoreboard the new committee will now be judged on.
