Pragyan Ojha is likely to become India's next chief selector after Ajit Agarkar's departure. The 39-year-old currently serves as the interim head of the committee. He recently met head coach Gautam Gambhir in Guwahati to discuss squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, which starts on October 22 in Christchurch.
Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is likely to become India's next chief selector following Ajit Agarkar's departure, with the 39-year-old currently serving as the interim head of the four-member selection committee.
Ojha was among the four selectors who held a lengthy discussion with India head coach Gautam Gambhir in Guwahati on Tuesday, a day before the second ODI against the West Indies. Shiv Sundar Das, Ajay Ratra and R P Singh were also part of the meeting, while outgoing chief selector Agarkar was not present.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Barsapara Stadium while the West Indies went through their training session. The Indian team was taking a day off after travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Guwahati.
The presence of the entire selection committee during a bilateral series is not commonplace, with the discussion understood to have centred on India's upcoming tour of New Zealand and the squads that need to be finalised for the series.
WHO IS PRAGYAN OJHA?
Ojha, who played 24 Tests for India, took interim charge of the selection committee after Agarkar's departure. He is now in line to take over as the full-time chief selector.
The selection committee has a busy period ahead, with India scheduled to play five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests during their New Zealand tour from October 22 to November 27.
The selectors also need to finalise the India A squad for a three-Test tour of New Zealand, which begins on October 24.
The New Zealand tour will begin with a five-match T20I series, with the opening game scheduled in Christchurch on October 22. A five-match ODI series will follow from November 4, before the two-Test series begins in Wellington on November 19.
INDIA PREPARE FOR PACKED NEXT FEW MONTHS
With India's international calendar packed across formats, player workload and availability are likely to be among the issues facing the selectors.
The final ODI of the New Zealand tour is scheduled for November 15 in Tauranga, just four days before the first Test in Wellington. Some players who are part of both squads could therefore be released early to begin preparations for the Test series.
The tour will also form part of India's preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, giving Gambhir and the selectors another opportunity to assess combinations and player workloads.
India's management and selection committee will also have to balance the requirements of the senior teams with the India A programme, which provides another avenue to assess players ahead of the long international season.