Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has been scrutinised after the decision to replace Rohit Sharma as captain with Shubman Gill. The Indian cricket team has entered a transitional phase, as Agarkar remained non-committal about Rohit and Virat Kohli’s selection for the World Cup in South Africa during the squad selection for the Australia tour. The two stalwarts of Indian cricket have already announced retirements from Tests and T20Is, as ODIs remain the only formats they are available for. They have often talked about their desire to play the 2027 ODI World Cup, but it seems like the plans might have changed now, with the selectors expected to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Former England pacer Steve Harmison weighed in on the growing tension within Indian cricket, suggesting that chief selector Ajit Agarkar could face a turbulent end to his tenure amid the ongoing power tussle between former captains like Kohli and Rohit.
“Unfortunately, I think there might be a messy end for Ajit Agarkar there. If anybody is going to win here I think it is the former captains rather than the former all-rounder. But it all depends on, if Agarkar is saying this, just to fuel the fire of Kohli and Sharma, then fair enough. You put your cards on the table and see what comes,” Harmison said on talkSPORT Cricket.
During the Champions Trophy, Kohli was in sublime touch, smashing a century against Pakistan and starring again in the semi-final versus Australia. Rohit, after a quiet start, rediscovered his rhythm in the final with a match-winning knock against New Zealand, guiding India to their second ICC title in under a year.
“Rohit not been as influential in 50-over cricket as Virat has”
Harmison further hinted at possible friction ahead, noting that Kohli holds more influence and legacy in ODI cricket than Rohit. He warned that sidelining Kohli could backfire for India, especially in high-pressure chases, potentially leading to a messy fallout within the setup.
“I think Kohli has got a little bit of skin in the game. Runs in the bank, his reputation. Sharma, not as much. Sharma’s a little bit older. He’s not been as influential in 50-over cricket as Virat has. If Virat turns around and says, “All right, you go to the 50-over World Cup without me and leading up to it, let’s see when you’re chasing 350 in 50 overs to win against Australia or England, and you haven’t got that bloke who averages 90 winning games at number four, see where your teams at”. There could be a messy end in that way. There could also be words that have been misunderstood in translation,” he added.
