Ajit Agarkar gets orders to stay away from Team India

Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar surprised fans this week when he was spotted watching a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 match in Ahmedabad ahead of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. India recently suffered a 0-2 whitewash at the hands of South Africa in the Test series.

Following the humiliation, the Indian chief selector, who usually stays away from domestic games, has been staying in Ahmedabad since November 26, overseeing Group D matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. This was reported by Cricbuzz.

Ajit Agarkar lands at SMAT 2025 games amid selection heat

Ajit Agarkar is more commonly seen on overseas tours, whether in Australia, England, or Dubai. He had travelled to Australia, accompanied by Shiv Sundar Das, even while the domestic first-class season was in full swing back home. So, the chief selector’s appearance in Ahmedabad has sparked conversations about his involvement in domestic cricket.

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The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has often been criticized for their limited involvement in the domestic circuit. Many argue that Test players are being picked based on white-ball performances and that all-rounders are preferred over specialists.

Recently, Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s selection for the South Africa Tests raised many eyebrows, while the exclusions of players like Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Karun Nair continue to be a topic for debate among the cricket pundits.

Selectors scatter nationwide as Ajit Agarkar faces pressure after Test series loss

However, all five selectors share responsibility for decisions; Ajit Agarkar frequently faces the heat due to his constant presence on international tours and at major fixtures.

But it is not clear whether Agarkar’s current domestic cricket matches’ visit is part of a BCCI directive following India’s 0-2 home Test defeat to South Africa. However, the former Indian bowler has been regularly present at the Narendra Modi Stadium over the last few days.

On the other hand, Pragyan Ojha is traveling with the Indian cricket team for the three-match ODI series against South Africa, while SS Das is in Kolkata, RP Singh in Lucknow, and Ajay Ratra in Hyderabad. Except for Ojha, the rest of the selectors are all on Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 duty.

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Could India bring back retired Virat Kohli?

Following the humiliating second whitewash at home in the Test series within 13 months, there have been discussions among the selectors on whether senior players who have retired from Test cricket might be asked to reconsider.

However, the Cricbuzz report suggested that no BCCI official has approached Virat Kohli to reconsider his Test retirement, but the idea is being discussed among the think tank, and some believe that at least one recently retired player could be open to a return.

It could be Rohit Sharma also. He also retired from Test cricket earlier this year.

No second chance for Mohammed Shami?

Interestingly, Mohammed Shami was not given another chance at home against South Africa, and selectors haven’t checked his fitness or form. RP Singh watched Gujarat’s SMAT match in Kolkata, yet no selector reviewed Shami closely.

Agarkar was at Eden Gardens for the first test against South Africa, but even he didn’t travel to nearby Kalyani, where Bengal played Assam the next day. Their lack of interest has sent a clear message that India has moved on from Shami.