Instead of Pragyan Ojha, chief selector Ajit Agarkar himself has decided to stay in England for the ODIs. Amid Rohit Sharma’s retirement speculations, Agarkar’s presence in England has made the situation more intense.
As per the latest updates, according to the actual plans, selector Pragyan Ojha was supposed to stay in England during the ongoing 3-match ODI series in England. Due to a sudden change in plan, instead of Ojha, it is Agarkar who is in England for the India vs England ODI series.
Why is Ajit Agarkar in England?
The chief selector’s presence during a match or a series is not unnatural; Ajit Agarkar visited the ground during multiple matches, whether it was a home or away series. It is the timing that makes his presence in England significant.
If the reports are to be believed, then Rohit Sharma is all set to be axe from ODIs after the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday.
There must be clear communication between Rohit and the team management if he has really made up his mind to walk away from international cricket. Given that Ajit Agarkar holds the post of chief selector of the India men’s cricket team, he could be the person who exchanged formal words with the former India captain ahead of the Lord’s match.
There must be some conversation between Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma
Amid speculations around Rohit Sharma’s career, Abhishek Tripathi, a Dainik Jagran journalist, claims that Pragyan Ojha was supposed to stay for the ODIs after the conclusion of the T20I series. But for some urgent reasons, he had to leave, and Ajit Agarkar travelled to England for the ODIs. It is possible that, to have a clear conversation with Rohit Sharma, Agarkar himself wanted to take extra responsibilities.
“Pragyan Ojha was supposed to be there as a selector for the England tour. He was indeed there during the five T20s. He was also supposed to stay there during the three ODIs, but he showed some extra activities in several places. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar decided to go himself for the three ODIs. Only he could take such a big decision and make Rohit aware of the selectors’ thinking.” Abhishek Tripathi mentioned in his ‘X’ post.
इंग्लैंड दौरे पर चयनकर्ता के तौर पर प्रज्ञान ओझा को होना था। वह पांच टी20 के दौरान वहां थे भी। तीन वनडे के दौरान भी उन्हें ही वहां रहना था लेकिन कई जगह उन्होंने कुछ अतिरिक्त एक्टिविटी दिखाई। मुख्य चयनकर्ता अजित अगरकर ने तीन वनडे के लिए खुद जाने का निर्णय लिया। वही इतना बड़ा फैसला…
— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) July 17, 2026
After the India vs England 2nd ODI in Cardiff, multiple media reports strongly claimed that the upcoming match at Lord’s will be the final match for the opener for the Indian cricket team.
Rohit Sharma lacked form in two matches against England
It is also reported that for the Lord’s match, the batter himself invited his parents, Gurunath Sharma and Purnima Sharma, to stay in London and has done all the arrangements so that his parents could stay there without any discomfort.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma endured another disappointing outing in England in the series. In two consecutive games, the batter, who is known as ‘Hitman’ among the Indian cricket fans, struggled to score runs in a fluent manner, which he had done for years.
In the lead-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, as the team is willing to offer opportunities to younger batters, Rohit might have decided to conclude his international career.
