Agarkar not seeking extension as chief selector

"We still have 15 days to go," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in Mumbai where the board's Annual General Meeting took place. "Fifteen days is a long time in the world of cricket. We will make a decision at an appropriate time."

Agarkar's contract is set to expire on October 5, and there is uncertainty about its renewal given he was absent from a key BCCI review meeting earlier this month.

Since Agarkar's appointment as chief selector in July 2023, India have won back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026 (the first men's team to do so), successive Asia Cups in 2023 and 2025, as well as the Champions Trophy last year. It was also a period where India lost their first Test series at home since 2012 - 0-3 against New Zealand in 2024, and then one more against South Africa (0-2) in 2025. Personnel decisions also had to be taken with Shubman Gill taking over from Rohit Sharma as full-time ODI captain and Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav in the T20I role.

The player auction for the next IPL will be held in the second week of December. It will be the last mini-auction of the 2023-27 cycle. To mark two decades of the IPL, the BCCI decided to celebrate the next edition in a grand way. It also re-elected Arun Dhumal and Khairul Majumdar to the IPL Governing Council.

"We have also discussed about engaging and activating our state associations to give support to physically-challenged cricketers. The BCCI will complete 100 years in December 2027, so we will do centenary celebrations from December 2027 for one year," Saikia added.

Umpires and match referee's fees revised for the first time since 2017-18

For the first time in almost a decade, the BCCI has revised the fees for umpires and match referees in domestic cricket. As per the last hike in May 2018, umpires were paid INR 40,000 per day for matches apart from T20s, and INR 20,000 for T20s. The corresponding figures for match referees was INR 30,000 and 15,000 respectively. While he did not mention the exact amount, Saikia said that their per-day fees have "been enhanced substantially".

"We have categorised the umpires into four - A, B, C and D, and restructured the fee structure of the match referees also," he said. "All the umpires' posting will be as per merit. We have an assessing team under the umpire's board. Umpires will be given assignments according to their merit - whether it is knockouts or important games.

"After every season, there will be a system of relegation and upgradation. Ten umpires at the end of every season will be promoted, and ten will be relegated. This will make them very alert throughout the season, and that will ultimately help the game of cricket, because some players' futures depend on decisions of the umpires. They have to be very competent and alert."

Saikia also said that the appointment of Subhadeep Ghosh as India men's fielding was on a short-term basis. Ghosh, who worked with the senior women's team from 2021 to 2023 and is a fielding coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, was brought into the role ahead of India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August after T Dilip's contract ended. A final decision on his future will be taken after "assessing his performance and on the opinion of the team management"

Other selection committee appointments expected

The BCCI will review the applications it has received for the junior selection committee for men's cricket and make an appointment in the next 10-15 days. The board had advertised for five positions in the committee after the tenure of the S Sharath-led panel had ended last month. The deadline to submit applications was September 5.

"We have received a very large number of applicants, and we are shortlisting them," Saikia said. "After that we will give it to our cricket committee, who will be the competent authority to select the selectors for the junior selection committee. We are trying to complete it in the next 10-15 days."