All posts tagged: Agarkar

Agarkar on why Shreyas Iyer is India’s new T20I captain

Agarkar on why Shreyas Iyer is India’s new T20I captain

3 min readUpdated: Jun 6, 2026 04:25 PM IST India entered a new era in T20I cricket on Saturday with Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav as captain, with the latter’s reign coming to an end despite having lead the country to a T20 World Cup triumph in his last assignment just over two months ago. In a move that signals a clear shift in direction ahead of the next global cycle, the selectors not only handed Iyer the leadership role but also omitted Surya from all three T20I squads announced on Saturday. The decision was among the most significant takeaways from the BCCI’s selection meeting, which unveiled squads for the Ireland and England T20I series as well as the Asian Games. While the selection of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi grabbed plenty of attention, the leadership change marked the beginning of a fresh chapter for India’s shortest-format side. The chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, said Iyer had built a compelling case for the role through his leadership record and consistent performances over the last few years. …

Ajit Agarkar on teen sensation’s selection

Ajit Agarkar on teen sensation’s selection

4 min readJun 6, 2026 02:55 PM IST As the sun set on one ‘Surya’, another ‘Soorya’ rose on Saturday. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was indisputably the most talked-about player in IPL 2026. His stellar performances have now earned him a spot in the senior Indian squads for the tours to Ireland and England later this month and the Asian Games in September. It has been a sensational rise for the 15-year-old, who made his first-class debut in January 2024 and, in just over two-and-a-half years, reached the highest level in the game. Sooryavanshi’s selection was one of the headline decisions announced by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on Saturday, with the teenager rewarded for a breakthrough IPL campaign that saw him emerge as the leading run-getter with 776 runs in 16 matches. Agarkar made it clear that age was not a consideration once the youngster’s performances were weighed up. “His performances, like I said before, he’s almost forced us to pick him with how well he’s played. I know his age, and how young he is, …

Ajit Agarkar slammed for disrespecting Mohammed Shami: ‘Would you treat Bumrah the same way?’

Ajit Agarkar slammed for disrespecting Mohammed Shami: ‘Would you treat Bumrah the same way?’

Mohammed Shami’s omission from India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan feels like a strong indication that the selectors have moved on from the veteran pacer. The experienced fast bowler last represented India during the Champions Trophy last year and has since been working hard to regain full match fitness. Shami even returned to domestic cricket, featuring in the Ranji Trophy in an attempt to push his case for a comeback in the red-ball setup, but the call-up never arrived. Ajit Agarkar faces backlash for fitness explanation behind Mohammed Shami snub. (PTI Images) With India now focusing heavily on building a younger core across formats, opportunities for senior players appear to be shrinking rapidly. The team management’s current approach clearly points to long-term planning, especially in white-ball cricket, where several young names are consistently backed. Given the direction Indian cricket is heading in, it now seems increasingly difficult for Shami to find a place in the national side again, regardless of the format. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar made it clear that fitness concerns played …

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar gives big update on Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s fitness

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar gives big update on Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s fitness

4 min readMay 20, 2026 01:04 PM IST Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have two weeks time to prove their fitness or risk losing their spots in India’s ODI team for the upcoming series against Afghanistan. While both the players were named in the squad by the selection committee, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has reinstated that both Rohit and Hardik have to clear the test before joining the team. Rohit, who picked up a hamstring injury during the course of the IPL, spent a considerable time on the sidelines before making his comeback. Having featured mostly as a player whom the franchise substituted with an Impact Player, concerns still remain over whether he has retained 100 per cent fitness. Similarly, Pandya hasn’t taken the field since their defeat to Chennai Super Kings on May 2, with Suryakumar Yadav and then Jasprit Bumrah stepping in as captains. ALSO READ | Selectors send Rishabh Pant a clear message – perform in white-ball or wait Since the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, Pandya …

‘There’s a common thread to six hitting of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rinku Singh and even Ajit Agarkar’ – golfer Aditya Kanitkar | Cricket News

‘There’s a common thread to six hitting of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rinku Singh and even Ajit Agarkar’ – golfer Aditya Kanitkar | Cricket News

4 min readApr 21, 2026 02:21 PM IST Aditya Kanitkar is a former golfer and currently a golf-coach in Pune. He is also the brother of former India cricketer Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and dabbles at Masters tennis besides golf and cricket, playing at Poona Club. Plenty of conversations within the family are about bat swings – at the intersection of golf and power-hitting cricket. It is not just India captain Harmanpreet Kaur that shadow-practices with a golf club before nets. Most bat swing coaching leans on golf to get the elevation and distance akin to driving on the greens. Aditya Kanitkar breaks down the swing from head to toe: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Heinrich Klaasen are a very good comparison, though both use golf stances in six-hitting. The biggest difference is Klaasen is tall and uses his long levers to create more speed in his bat flow. Vaibhav is shorter, but when he hits down to up, he creates a lot of rotations, that is, his body turns at a faster speed than most. What makes him …

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar to get an extension till June 2027 | Cricket News

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar to get an extension till June 2027 | Cricket News

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the senior selection committee, under whose tenure India won three ICC trophies, will get an extension when his contract expires in June this year. The Indian Express understands that Agarkar’s contract will be extended by a year till June 2027. The Indian men’s team ended their ICC trophy drought by winning back-to-back T20 World Cup titles — in 2024 and 2026 — and also the Champions Trophy last year with Agarkar at the helm of the senior selection committee. India also reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final at home. With the 50-over World Cup to be played next year in October and November, the BCCI is keen to retain Agarkar, who is known to take tough calls, for a longer period of time. “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 officer bearers will be speaking to him on the sidelines of IPL games to update him,” a BCCI official said. The board …

The questions nobody saw coming: How Ajit Agarkar changed Indian cricket — one unpopular call at a time | Cricket News

The questions nobody saw coming: How Ajit Agarkar changed Indian cricket — one unpopular call at a time | Cricket News

The night before India announced their T20 World Cup squad, everything pointed to no surprises. This team had thrived on continuity. The squad would reflect that. Then, in the selection meeting in Mumbai, chief selector Ajit Agarkar put a question on the table that nobody saw coming. It was about Shubman Gill. The same committee had picked Gill out of nowhere for the Asia Cup six months earlier. That move had never quite worked — it had pushed Sanju Samson down the order, disrupted the fearlessness the team had built, introduced an anchor into a team built specifically to eliminate anchors. The decision had already invited scrutiny. Shreyas Iyer had just finished a sensational IPL and his exclusion had seemed inexplicable to many. To reverse the Gill call meant not just logic but admission. And something else — the team management had wanted Gill. Agarkar showed them the mirror. Agarkar reversed it — and explained it plainly. “Your opinion could differ from mine,” he said. “We still think he’s a quality player. Someone has to …

Sourav Ganguly tells Ajit Agarkar, BCCI to consider Auqib Nabi for ‘national colours’: ‘England the place to start’

Sourav Ganguly tells Ajit Agarkar, BCCI to consider Auqib Nabi for ‘national colours’: ‘England the place to start’

Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer, is breaking down the door when it comes to selection for the national team. The 29-year-old took his seventh five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, as he helped his side take a first-innings lead in the summit clash against Karnataka at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubballi. Owing to this first innings lead, Jammu and Kashmir are now on the cusp of their maiden Ranji title, and if this happens, it would be a historic feat for the entire region. Auqib Nabi took a fifer in the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka. (PTI) Looking at Nabi’s performance in the summit clash, former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly heaped praise. He told the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, to consider him for the national team. Dada stated that England would be the best place for Auqib to get a taste of the blue jersey. India are slated to tour England for a white-ball series in July 2026 and hence the Prince of Kolkata believes …

Auqib Nabi sends bold India selection message to Ajit Agarkar; removes KL Rahul, Karun Nair, strikes thrice in 23 balls

Auqib Nabi sends bold India selection message to Ajit Agarkar; removes KL Rahul, Karun Nair, strikes thrice in 23 balls

Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi wreaked havoc on Thursday as his fiery opening spell sent Karnataka crashing to 57 for 4 inside 18 overs in their attempt to match J&K’s imposing first-innings total of 584 at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground. Nabi struck three times in 23 balls, dismissing seasoned India batters KL Rahul and Karun Nair, along with Smaran Ravichandran, including two wickets in successive deliveries. Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi, left, celebrates after taking the wicket of Karnataka’s Karun Nair during Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final (PTI) The right-arm quick provided the first breakthrough in the 12th over, removing Rahul with a skiddy back-of-a-length delivery on off stump that straightened after pitching. Squared up in the crease, Rahul attempted to fend it away with an angled bat, only to edge it to close-in fielder Kanhaiya Wadhawan. Karnataka vs Jammu & Kashmir Ranji Trophy Final LIVE Score Two overs later, Nabi returned to deliver a double blow. Nair was undone by a beauty that zipped past the outside edge …

‘Ajit should be given 10/10 for the team’: India spin legend hails Agarkar for T20 World Cup squad selection | Cricket News

‘Ajit should be given 10/10 for the team’: India spin legend hails Agarkar for T20 World Cup squad selection | Cricket News

India spin legend Harbhajan Singh hailed his former national teammate Ajit Agarkar for overlooking the selection of a comprehensive squad for their T20 World Cup title defence which begins in February in the sub-continent. On December 20, 2025, the Agarkar-led national selection committee unveiled the 15-member squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, making India the first of the 20 teams in the competition to reveal their squads for the showpiece event. Harbhajan said the selection panel chaired by Agarkar had done a remarkable job, even as he rued the non-selection of ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill. Gill had returned as vice-captain of the side during the 2025 Asia Cup last September, but eventually lost his spot out to Sanju Samson. CHECK OUT | T20 World Cup 2026 Squads: Full player list of all 20 teams “The team is really good. I had told that Ajit should be given 10/10 for the team. I felt a little bad for Shubman, but he will get more chances soon. All the players are match winners in …