Ajay Ratra joins Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee in a colossal move

On Tuesday, September 3, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the appointment of Ajay Ratra as the newest member of the Ajit Agarkar-led Men's Selection Committee.

The former India wicketkeeper-batsman Ajay Ratra has replaced Salil Ankola in the panel and he brings a good amount of experience with him.

In the official statement released, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that Ajay Ratra will work alongside the other selectors to identify the best talent in the country and provide an adequate amount of opportunities to the players.

"The Cricket Advisory Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday named Mr Ajay Ratra as the newest member of the Men's Selection Committee headed by Mr Ajit Agarkar. Mr Ratra will replace Mr Salil Ankola in the Committee," BCCI stated.

"As a selector, Mr. Ratra will work alongside the existing members of the selection committee to identify and support the next generation of cricketers who will represent India on the global stage," BCCI added.

"His insights will be instrumental to the committee in ensuring that the best talent is identified, nurtured, and given the opportunity to excel at the highest level," BCCI further wrote.

Ajay Ratra represented India in 6 Tests and 12 ODIs

Ajay Ratra made his debut for India National Cricket Team in the longest format of the game on April 19, 2002, against West Indies National Cricket Team at Port of Spain. He went on to play 6 Tests for the country and scored 163 runs at an average of 18.11, with one century.

His ODI debut for the team came on January 19, 2022, and he represented India in 12 50-over games. Overall, he managed to score just 90 runs at an underwhelming average of 12.85.

In domestic cricket, Ratra represented Haryana and featured in 99 first-class games and 89 List-A matches, scoring 4029 and 1381 runs, respectively. He also played 17 T20s and scored 191 runs.

After his playing career ended, Ratra took up coaching, and he worked as the Head Coach of Assam, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Also, he was a member of the India National Cricket Team coaching staff in 2023 during the ODI series in South Africa.

Talking about the India National Cricket Team, several players are currently grinding in nets to prepare for the upcoming Duleep Trophy and the long red-ball season. Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah will not be playing in the Duleep Trophy 2024, and they are likely to be seen in action directly in the home Test series against Bangladesh.

It is expected to be a challenging series for the Rohit Sharma-led side because Bangladesh recently hammered Pakistan in the away Test series by a margin of 2-0 and will be high on confidence heading into the India Tests. After the series against Bangladesh, India will host New Zealand before travelling to Australia for the high-profile Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against the Australia National Cricket Team.