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All this while, it was the selectors who were believed to be in agreement about sidelining Rohit Sharma from India’s plans for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. The selectors had also spoken to the Mumbai cricketer on two occasions, conveying to him that his time was up.
However, it is now emerging that a section of the Mumbai lobby, led by Rohit Sharma and few members of Mumbai Cricket Association, are planning to push chief selector Ajit Agarkar out of the post, sources told CricBlogger.
This isn’t the first time a student has turned against the examiner. In the past, top Indian cricketers have lobbied for certain candidates to be appointed as selectors. But this is perhaps the first time that a group led by a prominent Mumbai cricketer is opposed to a selector from the same zone.
Whether Agarkar will continue as chief selector remains to be officially decided. He completes his three-year term and is believed to be open to an extension of another year, particularly with the 2027 World Cup in mind.
“But the situation is unprecedented: for the first time, a powerful group of players appears to be taking on a selector from their own zone,” a source told CricBlogger.
The selectors had communicated to Rohit right after the IPL that they were looking to give Yashasvi Jaiswal a longer run ahead of next year’s World Cup. They reiterated the point before the team was picked for the England ODI series. But Rohit isn’t ready to listen to the selectors and remains convinced that he can continue to play and perform for India. The third ODI was a testimony to his age-old ability to score runs and underline his class even at this stage of his career.
To press his point further, Rohit has also been reaching out to top BCCI officials and, sources say, taking steps to remove Agarkar as chief selector on the grounds that he isn’t doing enough for his zone. The move is also believed to be aimed at paving the way for a new chief selector.
For now, the battle appears to be as much about the future of Indian cricket as it is about influence within the system. “It remains to be seen what kind of narrative is built from here to lend greater credibility to the post of chief selector,” the source added.
