Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chairman of the BCCI’s senior men’s selection committee officially ended on October 4, but the Indian cricket board is yet to name his replacement. Before appointing a new chairman to the five-member selection committee, the BCCI is expected to finalise India’s squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
According to a Cricbuzz report, the senior men’s selection committee is likely to meet between October 5 and 11 to pick the squads for the New Zealand tour, which begins on October 22. India are scheduled to play five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests during the multi-format tour.
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha is expected to oversee the first selection meeting of the post-Agarkar era. However, it remains unclear whether Ojha’s involvement will be a temporary arrangement or continue until the BCCI appoints Agarkar’s full-time successor. Until then, the selection committee is expected to operate with four members.
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The selectors are likely to pick full-strength squads across all three formats. The five-match ODI series will be particularly important as India continue their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, scheduled to begin on October 2 next year.
India ODI captain Shubman Gill had already stressed the importance of having the first-choice players available for the upcoming assignments. Following the ODI series against the West Indies, Gill expressed his desire to see the senior players feature regularly, and he is expected to have a strong squad at his disposal in New Zealand.
#PragyanOjha To Lead Selection Meeting As #India Set To Pick Squads For #NewZealand Tour This Week
#BCCI #IndianCricketTeam
https://t.co/kJJ1ndZMhH
— News18 CricketNext (@cricketnext) October 5, 2026
The two-Test series will carry even greater significance. India need victories in the red-ball matches to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 World Test Championship final alive, making a full-strength squad crucial for the challenging away assignment.
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Meanwhile, Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar could make his Test comeback after an impressive outing in the Irani Cup. Mukesh claimed six wickets in the second innings for Rest of India against Jammu and Kashmir, helping Rishabh Pant’s side secure a convincing 167-run victory.
Akash Deep is also expected to retain his place in India’s Test squad for the New Zealand series, adding another pace option to the bowling attack.
