Why was Ajit Agarkar not physically present at review meeting? BCCI clarifies

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was not physically present at the high-powered review meeting held at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The meeting brought together India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir and CoE head VVS Laxman to discuss the team's recent performances, injury concerns and the roadmap towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Why Agarkar missed the Mumbai review meeting

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia provided an official explanation for Agarkar's absence from the gathering. According to Saikia, the chief selector was unable to attend because he was out of station at the time the meeting was convened.

"Today, he was out of station, so he could not be a part of the meeting. The meeting was called at very short notice, and our chairman of the selection committee, Ajit, was not in town. So he could not join the meeting, and he was in an area where he could not join online either, despite our best efforts," Saikia told the media.

What the BCCI secretary said about selection discussions

The secretary also clarified that no selection-related discussions took place during the review meeting. When asked about the nature of the gathering, Saikia confirmed that selection matters were not on the agenda for that particular session.

"Today, we did not have any selection meeting. There was no such discussion in today’s meeting," Saikia added.

Agarkar had conducted an online selection committee meeting days before the review gathering to determine the T20I squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan, which begins on September 13 in Delhi. The selection process for that series had therefore already been completed before the September 3 meeting took place.

Social media speculation emerged following Agarkar's absence, with some observers questioning his position as chief selector. Questions were raised particularly in light of the Rohit Sharma episode, when the selection committee's handling of the former captain's retirement became a point of controversy, only for the BCCI to intervene in that matter.

"I do not want to give any fodder to the speculators," Saikia concluded.

Agarkar's schedule and future role

Agarkar is expected to be present at the Duleep Trophy final scheduled to start on September 6 in Chennai, where he will attend with a couple of colleagues. Two other selectors are also expected to be in Delhi for the T20I series against Afghanistan. Agarkar had been visible during India's just-concluded Test series in Sri Lanka, where cameras captured him repeatedly during both Test matches.