Fallout over Rohit Sharma, clashes with VVS Laxman and England review meeting snub led to Ajit Agarkar's exit: Report

Ajit Agarkar's exit as chief selector stemmed from Rohit Sharma's ODI future row, differences with VVS Laxman and a missed England review meeting.

Ajit Agarkar is set to end his tenure as chairman of selectors of the men's national cricket team. It has now come to light that a fallout over the future of former India captain Rohit Sharma proved to be a primary catalyst behind Agarkar parting ways with the BCCI ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027, according to a report by PTI.

Clash over Rohit Sharma's ODI future was a big reason why Ajit Agarkar exited as chief selector (AFP)

The trouble started just before the white-ball series against England. The selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, and in agreement with the team management, decided to move on from Rohit Sharma in ODIs after the match at Lord's. A collective decision was taken, and South Zone selector Pragyan Ojha, one of Rohit's closest friends, was asked to communicate the call to him.

Rohit Sharma, who is eager to play in the ODI World Cup 2027, was far from happy. He reached out to a top administrator from BCCI to express his disappointment over how he was being treated. The board then urged Ajit Agarkar to go slow, pointing out that Rohit was scoring runs consistently. Agarkar, however, believed that if young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was to play the ODI World Cup 2027, he would need around 20 ODIs to settle down, adding that there were no guarantees that an ageing Rohit Sharma would remain effective on South African pitches.

"That was perhaps the day when Ajit knew that it would be very difficult for him to continue. In fact, he had no inkling that a media statement was issued by the BCCI. He understood that going forward, the call on big names won't be his prerogative," a senior BCCI official privy to the development told PTI on condition of anonymity.ALSO READ: Three ICC trophies, tough calls and a commitment to fairness: Ajit Agarkar goes out with reputation enhanced

Differences with VVS Laxman

At the same time, big differences had developed between Agarkar and his former India teammate and BCCI Centre of Excellence chairman VVS Laxman regarding policies on injured players and the scheduling of India 'A' matches.

"If you think that VVS Laxman's urge to win at all costs is anything less than, say, a Virat Kohli or a Sourav Ganguly, then you are mistaken. Whatever the competition, Laxman always wanted the best eleven to play," a former state team coach who has seen Laxman operate from close quarters at the COE, told PTI.

A major clash of opinions arose over team selections. Ajit Agarkar could not understand why India needed to field its main squad at the Asian Games, which is considered a tier-two cricket event.

Scheduling caused further tension. Key India 'A' matches repeatedly clashed with domestic tournaments like the Irani Cup, while an India 'A' series against New Zealand 'A' overlapped directly with the senior team's white-ball games. I

In addition, the CoE provided no specific recovery timelines for centrally contracted injured players. Mutual mistrust grew even deeper when an elaborate, confidential injury list of top players was leaked to the media.

The final straw

The breaking point arrived after India's recent series defeat against England. The BCCI called an essential review meeting in Mumbai to discuss the debacle and plan the road ahead, but Ajit Agarkar failed to attend this meeting in person or join remotely.

Although BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia defended him by stating the meeting was called on short notice while Agarkar was away, many within the board felt strongly that the chief selector should have made it a priority to attend.