Former India spinner Ramesh Powar has been appointed to the India men’s senior selection committee from the West Zone, while Pragyan Ojha will take over as the committee’s chair following the end of Ajit Agarkar’s tenure.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Powar after its Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, selected him to fill the vacant position. Powar was chosen ahead of former India opener Wasim Jaffer, among other candidates.
Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector ended on October 4, creating a vacancy on the selection panel.
Powar, a former offspinner from Mumbai, represented India in two Test matches and 31 ODIs between 2004 and 2007. After retiring in 2015, he moved into coaching and served as head coach of the India women’s team in two separate stints. During his tenure, the team won an Asia Cup title and secured a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.
He has also coached Mumbai and Gujarat in domestic cricket and worked as a bowling coach at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. His experience across international and domestic cricket will add another perspective to India’s selection process.
Ojha has been a member of the senior men’s selection committee since September 2025, alongside Shiv Sunder Das, RP Singh and Ajay Ratra. He played 24 Tests for India and takes over as chair under the BCCI’s seniority-based system, which gives preference to Test appearances when determining the committee’s leadership.
Ojha had already served as interim head of the panel following Agarkar’s departure and led the selection process for India’s upcoming all-format tour of New Zealand.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer had also confirmed that he applied for the vacant selector’s position. Jaffer played 31 Tests for India and would have been eligible to chair the committee had he been appointed.
The revised panel will oversee India’s upcoming selection decisions across formats as the team prepares for its international assignments.
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India men’s senior selection committee
Pragyan Ojha (chair), Shiv Sunder Das, RP Singh, Ajay Ratra, Ramesh Powar.
