New Delhi [India], October 8 (ANI): Former India cricketer Chetan Sharma congratulated Ajit Agarkar after his tenure as chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) senior men's selection committee officially ended on October 4.
Notably, Agarkar had taken charge in July 2023 and did not seek an extension.
Chetan Sharma, who himself has been a chairman of the BCCI selection committee, praised Ajit Agarkar for his tenure, crediting him and the selection committee for India’s success and congratulating him on leaving the role after a strong stint.
“It's a very big deal. You sit in that chair thinking about how many trophies India can win. It's a very big deal in itself. Look, three ICC trophies, and then if you talk about the Asian Games back-to-back. So it's a great effort. I'd say Ajit has done a great job. It's basically a team effort. There are five selectors, so I'd like to congratulate all five selectors who were there, and especially the chief selector who had the will behind it. My best wishes are with him,” Sharma said while speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the Salute Tiranga Cricket League (STCL) Players Draft on Wednesday.
“Look, you come, and you go. No one's chair is permanent, but whenever you're in the chair, you leave after doing good work, which brings a lot of happiness. So my congratulations to Ajit Agarkar, and I wish him luck for his next innings, whatever he plays in,” he added.
During Agarkar’s tenure, India won three ICC trophies -- the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2024, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2026.
The Indian men's team also won two Asia Cup titles and back-to-back gold medals at the Asian Games during Agarkar's tenure while reaching the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Chetan Sharma also welcomed pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the Team India setup. Bhuvneshwar’s India career had been on hold since the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide. Nearly four years later, the 36-year-old has earned a long-awaited recall to the national side for the five T20Is against New Zealand starting from October 22 onwards.
Chetan Sharma said Bhuvneshwar deserved his India recall, praising his bowling, length and swing during the UP T20 League and comparing his performances to the pacer he knew five years ago.
“I was commenting in the UP T20 League. I've done the whole league, and the way he was bowling, he deserves it. The way he bowled on those wickets, his length is amazing, and his swing is amazing. It's the same Bhuvneshwar Kumar I knew 5 years ago when I was the chairman. He deserves a chance, and he got the chance,” he said.
STCL mentor Ashok Malhotra also welcomed Bhuvneshwar’s recall, saying his strong performances showed that age should not be a barrier and expressing happiness that the pacer had received another chance.
“Really great, really great. It just goes to show that age is just a number. When a player is performing this well, why aren't you picking him? You know what they say—better late than never. So, this is really great news. I was really happy that a player like Bhuvneshwar got another chance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chetan Sharma, who is the League Commissioner of the Salute Tiranga Cricket League, said the league is progressing well, with 15,000 youngsters participating in trials. He said the league aims to provide a platform for grassroots players who miss out on state-level selections and highlighted the talent he saw, particularly among fast bowlers.
“It's heading in a very good direction. 15,000 kids gave the trial. And this platform is basically for kids at the grassroots level who have put in the hard work. Look, 15 kids get selected in every state. So not everyone can get a chance. So we've created this platform for the kids who miss out. And there are some really good kids. I was watching the fast bowlers; amazing. I didn't think there would be this much talent, and there are some players who try for the Ranji Trophy and have played for a season or two,” he said. (ANI)
“Ajit has done a great job”: Chetan Sharma praises Agarkar after latter’s tenure as BCCI chief selector ends
