Ramesh Powar tipped to replace Agarkar on senior selection committee

Ramesh Powar has emerged as the frontrunner to fill the vacancy on the BCCI senior men's selection committee left by Ajit Agarkar, whose tenure as chief selector came to an end on October 4, 2026. No official announcement of Powar's appointment has been made as yet, but he is widely reported as the leading candidate following the Cricket Advisory Committee's interview process.

The CAC conducted interviews with four or five candidates on October 15, 2026, a day after the application deadline closed on October 14. Among those who appeared before the committee were Wasim Jaffer, Connor Williams, Jacob Martin and Salil Ankola. Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel chose not to apply for the position.

The board moved swiftly once applications closed, with the CAC scheduling interviews for the very next day, reflecting the BCCI's intent to resolve the vacancy without unnecessary delay. Powar, an off-spinner who represented India in 2 Tests and 31 ODIs during his international career, has remained closely involved in Indian cricket in various administrative and coaching capacities since retiring from the game.

Who is heading the senior selection panel in the interim?

Pragyan Ojha has been serving as the head of the senior selection panel on an interim basis since Agarkar's departure and is expected to continue in the role on a permanent basis. The transition has not disrupted the committee's functioning, with selection work continuing uninterrupted through this period.

VVS Laxman, representing the BCCI Centre of Excellence, attended the selection committee meeting held in Guwahati and also joined a subsequent virtual meeting at which the ODI and Test squads for India's tour of New Zealand were finalised. His participation underlined the board's effort to maintain continuity in the selection process while the vacancy remained open.

Could Dodda Ganesh head the junior selection committee?

Alongside the senior committee developments, former India pacer Dodda Ganesh from Karnataka is being considered to chair the junior selection committee. However, that appointment has not been officially confirmed by the BCCI, and it remains a possibility at this stage rather than a settled decision.

The regional representatives for the junior committee are also yet to be officially confirmed, with several names under consideration across different zones. The BCCI is expected to formalise both the senior and junior committee compositions once the appointment process concludes.