Indian Cricket in Crisis, MS Dhoni’s Identification Program Restarted, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha appointed selectors

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approved the revival of the Talent and Research Development Officers (TRDO) program during its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The board also announced increased incentives for domestic players, encouraging teams to reach the finals of tournaments.

Former Delhi cricketer Mithun Manhas was unanimously elected as the board’s 37th president at the BCCI AGM in Mumbai on Sunday. He replaced Roger Binny, who stepped down last month upon reaching the age limit of 70. The board underwent a reshuffle in both its administrative and selection structures.

BCCI Considering Bringing Back Talent Resource Development Wing

According to RevSportz, the BCCI is considering bringing back the Talent Resource Development Wing (TRDW), a scouting programme that had once discovered future stars like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, RP Singh, and Piyush Chawla.

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The BCCI AGM proposes the resumption of TRDO. Jagmohan Dalmiya had introduced it at the turn of the century when he was the BCCI president, to spot talents at the grassroots. #BCCIAGM

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) September 28, 2025

The initiative, originally launched in 2002 during Jagmohan Dalmiya’s presidency, was discontinued after a few years despite its early success.

If revived, the structure will once again employ former cricketers and coaches as Talent Resource Development Officers, with each officer responsible for scouting talent across different zones.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then 21 years old, entered the program even though it was designed only for U-19 players. He was included on the recommendation of former Bengal captain Prakash Poddar, who was part of Dilip Vengsarkar’s TRDW panel.

Poddar, attending a U-19 game in Jamshedpur, happened to notice Dhoni playing in a nearby Ranji One Day match for Bihar (before the formation of Jharkhand) and pushed for his selection into the system.

This Will Be an Incentive for Teams to Reach Finals - Harbhajan Singh

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh revealed that the BCCI has introduced a new incentive scheme to financially reward domestic players based on the number of matches they play in a season.

“It has been decided that if a player plays more domestic matches in a season, he will get more money. This will be an incentive for teams to reach the finals of domestic tournaments,” Harbhajan told reporters after the meeting.

“If a cricketer plays 14 first-class matches a season, he will get an additional match fee of Rs 1 crore,” he added.

Pragyan Ojha, RP Singh Appointed Men’s Senior Selectors of the Indian Cricket Team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has appointed former India cricketers Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh as members of the national senior selection committee. They replaced S. Sharath and Subroto Banerjee in the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.

Ojha played 24 Tests, 18 ODIs, and six T20Is for India. The left-arm spinner secured 144 wickets across formats. He represented Hyderabad, Bengal, and Bihar in his playing career and later served on the IPL Governing Council.

RP Singh was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad. He played 14 Tests, 58 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, taking 124 wickets. The left-arm pacer has experience on the Cricket Advisory Committee and has worked as a television commentator.

Former pacer Praveen Kumar, batter Amay Khurasiya, Ashish Winston Zaidi, and Shakti Singh were other notable applicants.

Also read: India vs Pakistan winner of Asia Cup final announced