These Stars Have Left Team India Since Ajit Agarkar Became Chief Selector: There have been many changes in Team India in the last one year. The captaincy has completely changed in all three formats. Many new players have made their place in the team. But due to this change, Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is under the spotlight from fans to experts on social media. Gambhir is being accused that these changes have happened only after he took over the post of head coach. If we look at it, this is also true, but behind the scenes, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar has played an important role, after his entry, many legends of Indian cricket have retired.
Ajit Agarkar became the selector of Team India in July 2023. At this time, there were talks of changes in Team India, but it did not seem to be happening. But after Agarkar took charge, he gradually started the process of change and it started with two big legends of the Test team.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who made the biggest mark as a Test batsman for the Indian team in the last decade, was the first to lose his card. Pujara was dropped from Team India after playing in the 2023 World Test Championship final. Agarkar became the chief selector only after this final, and then Pujara could not return. Even after being dropped from the team, Pujara continued to play domestic and county cricket and even scored runs. But when all this failed and Agarkar’s selection committee did not open its doors for him, Pujara recently announced his retirement.
Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the biggest reasons for the success of the Indian cricket team in the last decade, suddenly retired during the tour of Australia. However, Ashwin’s mid-series retirement was a surprise, and Agarkar may not have been entirely responsible for it. Gambhir seems to have played a key role in this, not giving him a chance in three consecutive Tests during the Australia tour. But did selector Agarkar hint at any change in Ashwin after the home series defeat against New Zealand?
Team India captain Rohit Sharma’s sudden descent from heaven to earth has been quite a shock. Rohit’s performance in the Test series against New Zealand, Bangladesh and Australia was poor. Despite this, he had expressed his intention to continue playing. But in May, he shocked everyone by suddenly retiring from Test cricket. Now, Agarkar has taken over the captaincy from Rohit in the ODI format, which perhaps makes it clear that his place in the team in this format is not certain either.
No one would have imagined that Virat Kohli, the greatest batsman in Indian cricket and perhaps world cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, would suddenly end his Test career with an Instagram post. But Agarkar and Gambhir, citing changes in the team, made it clear to the veteran batsman that Team India is ready to move forward without him, and it would not be surprising if Kohli announces his retirement from ODIs soon.
The latest name in this list is star fast bowler Shami. Shami, who has been the success of the Indian team in Test cricket for the last 8-9 years and then taken about 40 wickets in two consecutive ODI World Cups, is suddenly seen out of Team India’s plans in all formats. After struggling with fitness for a whole year after the 2023 World Cup, Shami returned to the Champions Trophy this year and took nine wickets and led the team to victory. However, he was not selected for the England tour on fitness grounds, and now he has been left out of the ODI series in Australia without any reason being given. Clearly, Agarkar and Co. have decided Shami’s future.
