Ajit Agarkar makes big revelation on ugly fights with India head coach during selection meetings

Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar has revealed that his time working with former head coach Rahul Dravid was far from smooth ahead of the crucial white-ball series in Australia. Currently, Gautam Gambhir is serving as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.

Gambhir succeeded Dravid after the latter resigned from his position after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies. After winning the title, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I cricket. Earlier this year, Rohit and Virat retired from Tests as well.

Ajit Agarkar reveals heated debates with Rahul Dravid behind closed doors

Well, despite Dravid’s calm demeanor and reputation as one of the kindest figures in Indian cricket, the former Indian head coach has reportedly gotten into several heated disagreements with the chief selector, Agarkar, during team selection meetings.

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These clashes took place behind closed doors. While selection discussions are usually kept private, Agarkar has exposed the intense debates during the meetings. Dravid, known for his quiet personality on the field, displayed a surprisingly forceful side as head coach.

Ajit Agarkar was quoted as saying by NDTV: “I mean Rahul Dravid was coach before this—he’s a dear friend—and we've had some, I won’t call them bust-ups, but we’ve had some real disagreements with regard to what he wants. But that’s because we are trying to do what’s in the interest of the team.”

Ajit Agarkar explains how decisions are made

The Indian chief selector has emphasized that team selection is a team effort, involving detailed discussions with the selection panel, the head coach, and the captain. With five selectors on board, differences of opinion are normal, but they are part of the process to explore all options.

Agarkar further explained, “Eventually, once you reach that selection meeting, most of us are on the same page. We've had lots of discussions leading up to that and lots of disagreements, which is important. There are five people who will have different thoughts—hopefully not five completely different thoughts—but the fact that we have those disagreements means we have more than one option for a particular spot.”

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Ajit Agarkar opens up on team selection

The former Indian bowler has explained that most of the squad usually picks itself, with 12 to 14 players almost certain, and debates mainly focus on one or two spots. Ajit Agarkar stressed that every decision is made with the team’s best interests in mind. The goal is always to select the best possible 15 players and make life easier for the team’s leadership.

Despite all the pressure and public scrutiny over team picks, Agarkar said that discussions within the selection panel remain calm and professional. Even when there are differences of opinion, the focus is always on making the best decisions for the team.

He signed off by saying, “Eventually, it's our decision to make. Whether it was with Rahul before or Gautam [Gambhir] now, and even with captains—Rohit before this and Shubman now—we discuss things. Our job is to try and give the best possible 15 so that the captain and coach can have their lives made a little bit easier. And if you don't involve them in the discussion, it'll be foolish.”