'I have seen a lot of big players who are bitter' - Aakash Chopra hails Ashwin for backing Agarkar amid impending exit as chief selector

Former India batter Aakash Chopra has praised Ravichandran Ashwin for publicly backing Ajit Agarkar as India's chief selector, even though Ashwin was among the senior players phased out during Agarkar's tenure. Agarkar's contract as chief selector is set to end on October 4, 2026, and he has decided not to seek an extension, informing the BCCI of his decision ahead of that date.

Ashwin acknowledged that Agarkar had to take several difficult decisions during his stint, including phasing out senior players. Despite being one of those players, Ashwin said Agarkar had been a very good chairman of selectors.

"The fact is that Ajit Agarkar had the responsibility to take a lot of big decisions in this stint; he had to phase out the senior players, it cannot be easy. I was one of the senior players phased out during his tenure, but still by keeping some distance from that I want to say that he has been a very good chairman of selectors. If we look at what all he has done with the team," Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel

Chopra responded to Ashwin's remarks calling the gesture a sign of genuine character, and lauded the former off-spinner for his humility.

"It takes guts to say what he has said. More than half of the people I have seen, and I have seen a lot of big players who are bitter. They are bitter because they feel that things did not go right for them. They have grudges, and they are bitter even after 10-15 years. Even after ending cricket and retiring, they are still bitter. They are still carrying that grudge around. I am not going to name names, but there are people like this," Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

Why did Chopra defend Agarkar's record as chief selector?

Chopra noted that Agarkar has faced considerable criticism during his time as chief selector, with many people directing negative comments at both Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Chopra pointed out that Agarkar is contractually bound and cannot publicly explain every decision he has made, which means many of the realities behind his selections remain undisclosed.

"Many people abuse him, they are toxic people who talk a lot about Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir. There are so many realities that Ajit knows but can't say because he is contractually bound. So, if R Ashwin, who was part of the transition, is saying that Ajit Agarkar has done a good job, I am going to take it at face value," Chopra said.

Chopra also addressed the circumstances surrounding Ashwin's retirement directly. Ashwin retired from Test cricket in December 2024 during the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia, after being dropped from the playing XI following the pink-ball Test in Adelaide and announcing his retirement after the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.

"We all felt that something happened with Ash, and he did that and all that. Ash is a pretty upfront guy, a completely honest guy who speaks what's in his heart. He admitted that whoever has to handle a transition, it is a very difficult task for them. Agarkar has thought about how to take Indian cricket forward, it is not about worshipping players or looking at records," Chopra added.

What happens after Agarkar's exit as chief selector?

Ajit Agarkar assumed the role of India's chief selector on July 4, 2023. During his tenure, India won the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also quit Test cricket shortly after Ashwin's retirement in December 2024, marking the end of a significant generational transition in Indian cricket.