A big change is coming in Indian cricket. Former left-arm fast bowler Rudra Pratap Singh (RP Singh) and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha are set to join Team India’s selection committee. This shake-up comes as S. Sharath and Subroto Banerjee are expected to step down from the panel. At present, Ajit Agarkar is the chairman of the national selection committee.
Rudra Pratap Singh (RP Singh), who played a crucial role in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, had taken 12 wickets in 6 matches, including 3 in the final against Pakistan. Soon after, he impressed in the Test series in England as well. RP Singh played most of his domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh.
Interestingly, when Gujarat won the Ranji Trophy in 2016-17 under the captaincy of Parthiv Patel, RP Singh was a key contributor. He is now set to replace Subroto Banerjee in the committee.
Pragyan Ojha, who has taken over 100 Test wickets, has been an automatic choice from the South Zone due to his experience. According to a PTI report, Ojha’s last international game was also Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test, where he took 10 wickets. Sharath, meanwhile, is likely to take charge as the chairman of the junior selection committee, making way for these two veterans at the senior level.
As per BCCI insiders, RP Singh and Ojha were asked to apply, and their names are expected to be finalised by the Cricket Advisory Committee before the AGM.
Related: BCCI Invites Applications for Two New Selectors after Asia Cup 2025 Squad Announcement
Career Highlights of RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha
- RP Singh (39 years old): Played 82 international matches, picking up 124 wickets. He took 40 wickets in 14 Tests, 69 wickets in 58 ODIs, and 15 wickets in 10 T20Is.
- Pragyan Ojha: Shone mainly in Test cricket with 113 wickets in 24 matches. He also took 21 wickets in 18 ODIs and 10 wickets in 6 T20Is.
Now, the big question remains – if these changes go through, will they mark a new direction for Indian cricket?