India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar found himself in a humorous situation during an awards ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday, May 30. Presenter Danish Sait put him on the spot with witty questions about the Indian team selection process.
The event took place a day before the IPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, featuring a segment celebrating India’s victory at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
After a video showcasing the winning campaign, Sait turned to Agarkar with a playful question.
“Do you look at this team and go, ‘Man, what a good team I selected’?” Danish asked.
This question brought laughter from the audience as Agarkar carefully considered his answer.
“I have to be careful what I say. Things could get taken out of context,” Agarkar replied with a smile.
While he refrained from directly praising himself, Agarkar expressed pride in being part of the selection for a squad that won the global title. India had a strong tournament, losing only one match before clinching their third T20 World Cup crown and their second in a row.
“Yes, it was nice to relive that moment because I was there, and yes, it was nice to pick that team,” he added.
Sait continued with another light-hearted query about one of the toughest parts of a selector’s role: informing players about missed selections.
“This is a country with more than a billion people. I want to know how many innovative ways you have found to tell people, ‘Sorry man, not this time, maybe the next series’,” he asked.
Agarkar laughed and acknowledged the difficulty of this responsibility.
“I’m still trying to find ways. It’s an everyday process,” he said.
The presenter then sought more details about the selection process, asking about the “most innovative” rejection method, which caught Agarkar off guard.
“Don’t put me on the spot. It’s not the night. There’s a selection coming up in a few days,” he said, laughing as the audience reacted.
Since becoming chairman of selectors in June 2023, Agarkar has led one of the most successful periods in Indian Cricket. Under his leadership, India has competed in four ICC tournaments, reaching the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and securing three consecutive global titles: the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Agarkar has also played a crucial role during a transition period marked by the retirements of key players like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rohit Sharma. Although his original tenure was set to end in March 2026, the BCCI extended his contract until the 2027 ODI World Cup due to the sustained success of the Indian team during his tenure.