As reports suggest that Ajit Agarkar will likely not renew his contract, his turbulent tenure as the head of the board of selectors in Indian cricket since 2023 is coming to a close. At the same time, his job as the man behind the scenes deciding which young talents will continue to carry the Indian jersey has become even more challenging than ever before, with the increasing competition for limited spots.

The pressure to deliver on the current team's success while also balancing the incoming changes and constant criticism from the media is unfathomable.

With all the challenges and controversies he had to deal with, Agarkar and his selection committee made some really bold moves on their way to attempting to transform Indian cricket for the better.

Here are the five biggest ones that defined Ajit Agarkar's time as the head of the board of selectors in Indian cricket

1.

Dropped Shubman Gill and recalled Ishan Kishan

In the wake of Shubman Gill failing to replicate the ultra-aggressive approach of India's T20I line-up, which in turn kept Sanju Samson out of position or on the sidelines, the selectors faced a dilemma and made a ruthless call.

Despite his considerable spend as the deputy to the skipper, Shubman Gill was dropped to reward Ishan Kishan for his red-hot domestic form, which earned Jharkhand a spot in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 final. Gill managed to recalibrate his T20 game while Kishan capitalized on his rise to become the No.1 T20I batter.

2. Closed Doors for Veterans to Make Way for Youngsters

In both the Test and T20 formats, Agarkar's committee did not budge on their stance of looking towards the future despite the criticism from the fans and media. Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Karun Nair, and Yuzvendra Chahal have all been ignored for senior opportunities despite their best campaigns with the bat and ball. Shami was bypassed for the Border-Gavaskar series as a new fast-bowling attack led by Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh emerged.

Kumar was sidelined for the IPL season 2026 after a sensational campaign in the tournament, and the selectors continued to back Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur as the pace options in the future.

3. Dropped Rohit Sharma as ODI Captain

Perhaps the most surprising move of all came before the Australia tour, where Shubman Gill was picked as the ODI captain, ending the stupendous journey of Rohit Sharma. Despite a recent Champions Trophy 2025 win under his leadership, there were no reasons to remove him from the post except for the fact that he had a staggering 75% win rate.

Looking towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, the selectors decided that Gill would be the right fit for the future.

4. Axed Suryakumar Yadav as Captain, Player

One of the toughest calls that the Indian cricket team has had to make came in the form of removing Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain and dropping him altogether. Despite India winning the 2026 T20 World Cup under his leadership, his poor form for the country and his franchise meant that the selectors replaced him as the captain in the wake of the 2028 Olympics and World Cup. Shreyas Iyer was picked as the new skipper.

5. Fast-tracked teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

One of the most surprising decisions came in the form of adding Vaibhav Suryavanshi to the national set-up. The teen sensation made his mark in the IPL 2026 season to make a place for himself. The call for his inclusion in the national set-up at the young age of 15 stirred controversy, with fans wanting to know if he was ready for such pressure. Agarkar and co. were eager to give the teenager a chance and take a leap of faith in the best-ever talent the country has witnessed in recent times.

A Legacy of Tough Calls

It goes without saying that Ajit Agarkar will be remembered for his tough calls as far as the selection process is concerned. While some may have been difficult for the fans, they are, without doubt, for the future of Indian cricket. With the Men in Blue preparing to enter their next era, the blueprint was set under the former selector.