Ajit Agarkar at risk of losing chief selector job after warning Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli

Former England pacer Steve Harmison criticized Team India chief selector Ajit Agarkar ahead of the three-match ODI series against Australia, starting on October 19. Harmison questioned whether Agarkar would be able to manage the influence of former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Indian cricket.

India are scheduled to begin the ODI series in Australia on October 19. Virat and Rohit have been named in the squad. They last played for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. There has been speculation about their future roles in the team and potential participation in the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.

However, Virat and Rohit are not certain for the World Cup despite their experience in the format. Ajit Agarkar emphasized that players must participate in domestic cricket whenever fit and available to stay in contention for national selection.

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There Might Be A Messy End For Ajit Agarkar - Steve Harmison

Steve Harmison said that Ajit Agarkar could face a messy situation in his handling of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He stated that the former captains might hold the upper hand while also noting that Agarkar’s remarks about playing domestic cricket could simply be a tactic to provoke them.

"Unfortunately, I think there might be a messy end for Ajit Agarkar there. If anybody is going to win here," Harmison said on talkSPORT Cricket.

"I think it is the former captains rather than the former all-rounder. But it all depends on, if Agarkar is saying this, just to fuel the fire of Kohli and Sharma, then fair enough. You put your cards on the table and see what comes," he added.

Virat Kohli Has Got a Little Bit Of Skin In the Game - Steve Harmison

Steve Harmison said that Virat Kohli has more stakes than Rohit Sharma in India’s ODI setup, given his exceptional record. He warned that heading into the World Cup without Kohli could create complications for the team and added that Rohit does not carry the same impact.

"I think Kohli has got a little bit of skin in the game. Runs in the bank, his reputation. Sharma, not as much. Sharma's a little bit older. He's not been as influential in 50-over cricket as Virat has," Harmison continued.

"If Virat turns around and says, "All right, you go to the 50-over World Cup without me and leading up to it, let's see when you're chasing 350 in 50 overs to win against Australia or England, and you haven't got that bloke who averages 90 winning games at number four, see where your teams at". There could be a messy end in that way. There could also be words that have been misunderstood in translation," he added.

Ajit Agarkar Must Just Have Said... - Steve Harmison

Steve Harmison stated that Ajit Agarkar’s message about Kohli and Rohit playing domestic cricket might have been exaggerated. Harmison said that Agarkar likely just wanted them to gain match practice through domestic games, rather than creating controversy.

"He might just have said I want them to play because they are not going to be playing. That's the problem. They're not playing Test cricket, they're not playing T20 cricket. They're only going to play the IPL."

"And if 50-over cricket is at the back end of the year, not when the IPL is, we could do with them playing a couple of domestic games. That could possibly be the way it was put across by Agarkar and it has been blown out of proportion," he said.

The upcoming ODI series against Australia will be a key opportunity for Virat and Rohit to showcase their form and justify their place in the team. With Rohit having stepped down as ODI captain, Shubman Gill has been named his successor ahead of the tour.

Also read: Pakistan players banned from USA and Canada after Asia Cup fiasco