India head to New Zealand without a Permanent Chief Selector; Ojha and 4 member panel to select names

India’s squads for the New Zealand tour will be picked by a selection committee headed by an interim chief after Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as head of the senior men’s panel ended on October 4.

Sources reveal that former left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has been named interim chief. He is expected to run the first selection meeting of the post-Agarkar era, likely between October 5 and 11.

Ojha, who played 24 Tests for India, is reported to head the committee until the BCCI names a successor. Speculation is also mounting that he could be a frontrunner for the post.

India have five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests in New Zealand on paper, with the tour starting on October 22. The selectors must also name an India A squad for a three-Test tour that begins on October 24. That is a lot of cricket to plan with a leadership vacuum.

The ODIs matter most. With the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, captain Shubman Gill has made it clear that he wants his best players available for them.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir sat down with the selectors in Guwahati while the West Indies ODIs were on, and he is expected to put forward his thoughts on Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep. Both are tipped to make the Test squad, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj leading the pace attack if they are fit.

As things stand, all of India’s top players are likely to be available for the five 50-over matches.

The series is expected to shape India’s early planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

For now, the squads will be named by a panel in transition. Whether Ojha stays on or someone else arrives is a question the BCCI has not answered.