Saturday, 24th May, turned out to be a significant day for the Indian cricket team as young batting sensation Shubman Gill was named the Indian Test captain. The decision came out a few days after batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from the longest format of the game. Shubman replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain will officially mark the start of the new era in the Indian red-ball cricket format.
From announcing Shubman Gill as India’s next Test captain to announcing India’s squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against the England cricket team, Ajit Agarkar made a few big announcements and opened up about what went behind the selection of the squad.
Here, in this article, we bring you the 7 most important or key points that were addressed by the Chairman of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee, Ajit Agarkar. Have a look:
Ajit Agarkar on why Shubman Gill was selected as Test captain
Ajit Agarkar also opened up about the decision to appoint Gill as the next captain. Speaking about why Shubman Gill was preferred over the likes of KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant, Ajit Agarkar explained:
“We discussed every option that’s there, over the last year or so, we’ve looked at Shubman at various times. Taken a lot of feedback from the dressing room. Very young, but there’s been improvement.”
“We’re hopeful he’s the guy. He’s a terrific player, our best wishes to him. You don’t pick captains for one tour or two tours. We’ve seen some progress over the last year or two with him. No doubt it’s going to be as tough as it gets,” said Agarka
Shubman Gill to captain Team India only for the England tour? Ajit Agarkar made a big revelation
Ever since the announcement of Shubman Gill as India’s Test captain has been made, there have been questions regarding his tenure, like – Has he been named India’s captain only for the upcoming India vs England Test series? Addressing the same in the press conference, Ajit Agarkar revealed that Shubman Gill’s announcement as Test captain is not just for one or two tournaments but is a long-term investment. Speaking about the same, he said:
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“You don’t pick Captains for 1-2 tours. You want to invest in something that is going to help us going forward. We have seen some progress in him over the last 2 years. There is no doubt, it is going to be tough doing a 5 match series in England. Maybe we will have to learn on the job a little, but we are very confident and that is the reason we are picking him…”
Agarkar breaks his silence on Virat Kohli’s sudden retirement from Test cricket
For the first time following Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket, the BCCI has opened up about the sudden decision. Ajit Agarkar, during the press conference, revealed how Virat Kohli reached out to him and conveyed his decision to retire from the red-ball format of the game. He revealed:
“When guys like that retire, it’s always going to be big holes to fill. Even Ashwin retired a few months back. All those guys are stalwarts of Indian cricket. It’s always difficult. One way to look at it is that it’s an opportunity for someone else. Obviously, I’ve had conversations with both of them over the last couple of months. Virat obviously reached out in early April and said he wants to finish,”
He added: “We’ve seen him want to give 200 percent every ball that plays… even when he’s not batting and in the field. He had given everything that he had and if he can’t keep up to the standards that he’s set for himself over the years and how good he has been, maybe it was time for him.”
Agarkar reveals why Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t named India Test captain
There were many who wanted to see Jasprit Bumrah as India’s next Test captain, however, the decision to make Shubman Gill the new Test captain has shocked many. Ajit Agarkar revealed the reason Shubman Gill was preferred over Jasprit Bumrah for Test captaincy role. He also revealed that Jasprit Bumrah wouldn’t be available for all five Test matches in England, which is also one of the reasons behind this decision. He revealed: “I mean, not really booms (Bumrah), because he led in Australia. He was vice captain in Australia but once he’s not going to be available for all the test matches, I think he’s more important to us as a player. We want him fit. There’s always that extra burden when you’re leading, managing 15-16, other people, there’s a lot that it takes out of you.”
“We’d rather have him bowling as well as he does, than putting that extra burden on him. He’s aware of it and he’d rather look after himself and be bowling fit.” Agarkar added
Ajit Agarkar on why Mohammed Shami was dropped from the India’s squad for England series
For the unversed, India’s senior bowler Mohammed Shami has been dropped from India’s squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against the England cricket team. After announcing the Indian squad for the England tour, Ajit Agarkar revealed the reason why Mohammed Shami was dropped from the team. Agar revealed that though there were plans to pick experienced fast bowlers in the team, however, the feedback from the medical team forced them to leave Shami out. He said:
“His workload is not where it needs to be. We were hoping he will be available but it is unfortunate. At the moment he is not fully fit. From tour of Australia, Harshit Rana and Sarfaraz Khan have been dropped.
Ajit Agarkar on why KL Rahul was not preferred for Test captaincy role
Agarkar praised KL Rahul as a key player of the Indian cricket team, however, he also revealed that the BCCI didn’t want to burden KL Rahul with the responsibility of captaincy. He revealed: “KL Rahul is a very important player for us – we are hoping for a big series from him in England. He is Crucial for us.”
He added: “KL not really, he’s captained a while back, he’s a quality player, and hope he has a big series. With Booms, it was more about his workload management.”
Agarkar on why Shreyas Iyer was not considered in Test squad
The BCCI selection committee has picked six batters for the upcoming England tour, and Shreyas Iyer couldn’t make it to the squad. Speaking about the same, Agarkar said:
“Yeah, Shreyas Iyer has played well in domestic cricket but at the moment There is no room for him in the Test Team,”
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