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Head of the India men's national cricket team selectors, Ajit Agarkar, was spotted on Day 1 of the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2026 Final match in Chennai. When East Zone was batting in the first innings of the match, the camera caught Agarkar sitting alone in a corporate box, keeping an eye on the match.
Ajit Agarkar attended the East Zone vs South Zone Duleep Trophy 2026 final match only three days after missing the high-profile BCCI meeting. The Board of Control for Cricket in India arranged a meeting to review the Indian cricket team's performance ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. Agarkar, who is the head of the selection panel, skipped the meeting.
AJIT AGARKAR IN DULEEP TROPHY FINAL.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 6, 2026
- An important match considering 5 Tests vs Australia coming in January. 🏆
A good performance can help in contention for the vital series. pic.twitter.com/bzeQgqjWqF
Ajit Agarkar missed BCCI review meeting
BCCI held the meeting to review the India National Cricket Team's performance and to discuss various topics, including multiple injury setbacks. India suffered back-to-back defeats against Ireland and England during their UK tour, which seemed to be an alarming sign to the board.
The Board and the team management's primary goal is to do well in the next World Cup, which will be in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. In South Africa, batters could face difficulties tackling the fast bowlers.
Devajit Saikia explained why Ajit Agarkar was not there in the meeting
Agarkar was expected to join the meeting, but he did not take part in the discussion and remains out of the scene. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met the media after the meeting and claimed that the meeting was arranged on short notice, and as Ajit Agarkar was out of the station, he couldn't join the discussion. Even a virtual call was not possible from his spot.
"He was out of station. He could not be a part of the meeting because this meeting was called at very short notice, and our head of the selection committee, Ajit, was not in town, so he could not join it. He was in such an area that he could not join online, despite our best efforts," Devajit Saikia told the media after the meeting.
Despite Saikia's explanations, the behind-the-curtain scenario can be different, as many suspect that everything might not be right between the BCCI secretary and Agarkar. Weeks ago, when Rohit Sharma's retirement speculations were at their peak, it was widely reported that Agarkar wanted to look beyond the former India captain while top board officials took Rohit Sharma's side. If this happened in real life, then it could be hazardous for the Saikia-Agarkar relationship.
Devajit Saikia opens up on Ajit Agarkar's contract
The chief selector's contract with the board will expire in September 2026; after that, the board will have the choice to extend the contract. But Devajit Saikia claimed that they did not discuss the selection committee in the team review meeting.
"There was no discussion on the selection committee. Our whole focus was performance in England and Ireland, as well as the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and what we are going to do in the upcoming series, plus the World Cup, which is our ultimate goal." Saikia stated.
