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New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India is willing to extend chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s tenure by a year, keeping in mind the 2027 ODI World Cup.

The former seamer’s contract is due to expire in June and a report suggests he would be allowed to stay on till June of 2027.

“Under Agarkar’s tenure, the team had a seamless transition and was fearless in taking bold decisions. The board felt he should continue. The BCCI office bearers will be speaking to him on the sidelines of IPL games to update him,” a BCCI official told Indian Express.

During Agarkar’s tenure, India won the T20 World Cup twice (2024, 2026) and the Champions Trophy last year, apart from a runners-up finish while hosting the 2023 ODI World Cup.

But apart from success in ICC tournaments, BCCI is impressed in the manner the selection committee has handled transition of management and players in the team.

Veterans Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwon and Rohit Sharma were phased out of the Test team after defeat in Australia, with Shubman Gill appointed skipper in red-ball cricket and the ODI team.

Similarly, following Kohli and Sharma’s retirement from the T20 set-up after a successful campaign in 2024 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav was chosen to lead the 20-over team and under him India successfully defended their title earlier this year.

Gill was dropped from the T20 team and removed as vice-captain with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan included in the T20 World Cup squad, which paid rich dividends in the end.

“Two keepers at the top (Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan), that’s the way we want to try, and the team management will eventually decide what kind of combinations they want to play,” Agarkar had said explaining the decision to drop Gill.

“Rinku Singh has come in, who gives us a little bit more depth in the lower middle order. It’s about combinations, so someone has to miss out, and unfortunately, it is Gill at this point.”

Continuity sought

Continuity in roles is also part of BCCI’s though process since two selectors, RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha, of the present committee haven’t yet completed one year of their tenures.

And with the ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in October-November, BCCI feels retaining the entore panel with an experienced chairperson is a straightforward call.