New Era Begins? Pragyan Ojha Leads Selection Panel As India Eye New Zealand Challenge
Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, for the time being, will be the interim head of the four-man selection committee after Ajit Agarkar's departure and is in line to become the next chief selector.
Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, for the time being, will be the interim head of the four-man selection committee after Ajit Agarkar's departure and is in line to become the next chief selector. While the Indian team was taking a day off after a long flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Guwahati, head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen engaged in a lengthy discussion with the four-member national selection committee on the eve of the second ODI against the West Indies on Tuesday. The presence of all four selectors during a bilateral series is not commonplace, making their meeting with Gambhir particularly noteworthy ahead of India's upcoming tour of New Zealand.
The selectors need to select the squads for three India A Tests, T20Is and ODIs, along with the Test team. With the last ODI slated for November 15 in Tauranga and the first Test starting on November 19 in Wellington, some of the key Test players, who are part of the ODI squad, might be released early for training sessions.
On Tuesday, outgoing chief selector Ajit Agarkar, however, was not present as Gambhir held the discussion with Shiv Sundar Das, Ajay Ratra, R P Singh and Pragyan Ojha on the sidelines of the Barsapara Stadium while the West Indies went through their training session. Ojha, who has played 24 Tests, is currently the interim head of the selection committee.
The discussion is understood to have been related to India's New Zealand tour, with the selection committee expected to finalise the squad for the impending New Zealand series.
India are scheduled to play a full tour of New Zealand from October 22 to November 27.
The series will begin with a five-match T20I leg, with the opening game scheduled in Christchurch on October 22.
A five-match ODI series will follow, beginning in Auckland on November 4. The tour will conclude with two Tests, in Wellington and Christchurch, from November 19. There is also India A's shadow tour where they will play three 'A' Tests between October 24 and November 10.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup preparations already gathering pace, the New Zealand tour is also expected to provide another opportunity for the team management and selectors to assess combinations and player workloads across formats.
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Pragyan Ojha
India Cricket Team