The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lauded outgoing chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar for his commitment, conviction and contribution over the last three years, as his tenure officially came to an end.Agarkar’s term concluded last month, and the BCCI on Tuesday invited applications to fill the vacant post, following weeks of speculation over whether he would be considered for an extension.“A tenure marked by some truly special moments for Indian cricket – three ICC trophies, two Asia Cup titles and back-to-back Asian Games Gold medals, along with a run to the 2023 ODI World Cup final,” the BCCI posted on its official X account.“Thank you, Mr Ajit Agarkar for your commitment, conviction and contribution as Chairman of the Men’s Selection Committee. Wishing you the very best for the journey ahead,” the apex cricket governing body added.A tenure marked by some truly special moments for Indian cricket — three ICC trophies, two Asia Cup titles and back-to-back Asian Games Gold medals, along with a run to the 2023 ODI World Cup final.Thank you, Mr Ajit Agarkar @imAagarkar, for your commitment, conviction and contribution as Chairman of the Men’s Selection Committee.Wishing you the very best for the journey ahead.— BCCI (@BCCI) October 7, 2026India won the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, along with the 2025 Champions Trophy, during Agarkar’s tenure. He also oversaw a significant transition that involved the T20 and Test retirements of batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.The BCCI’s message followed head coach Gautam Gambhir’s note of thanks to Agarkar earlier in the day. Gambhir said “history would be kinder” to Agarkar, whose conviction in the “team first” theory was crucial to India winning three ICC trophies during his tenure.“Dear Ajit Bhai, an absolute honour to work with you. Those 3 ICC trophies are a testimony of your conviction: Team first & Team ahead, always… I must say, History will be kinder to you. Thank you for everything. My heartfelt wishes for your future endeavours!!” Gambhir wrote on X.Former India cricketer R Ashwin also spoke in Agarkar’s defence on his YouTube channel, acknowledging the difficulty of the decisions the selector had to make. “The fact is that Ajit Agarkar had the responsibility to take a lot of big decisions in this stint; he had to phase out the senior players, and it cannot be easy. I was one of the senior players phased out during his tenure, but still by keeping some distance from that, I want to say that he has been a very good chairman of selectors,” Ashwin said.Story continues below this adAgarkar’s tenure was a mixed one in the eyes of many. He delivered silverware but also drew heavy criticism for some of the tough calls he made after taking charge in July 2023. According to sources, Agarkar did not seek an extension, which led the BCCI to look for a new chief selector. This paper had reported in August that BCCI officials were set to meet Agarkar to discuss a one-year extension after India’s tour of Sri Lanka, amid differences over Rohit Sharma’s ODI future in the lead-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.