Since Ajit Agarkar took over as India’s top selector in July 2023, a number of gifted cricket players have been excluded from the national squad for extended periods of time, lost regular spots, or been demoted in the selection hierarchy.
Some choices provoked discussion about domestic cricket commitments and chances, while others were related to form and team combinations. Hence, today we take a look at five such players.
Here are the 5 Indian players who quietly vanished under Ajit Agarkar as selector:
- Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan made his India Test debut against England in 2024 after years of spending time on the fringe. He had a very good outing, scoring fifties in both innings of his debut Test and continued to remain in the XI. He made his maiden Test century against New Zealand in Bengaluru.
However, he was dropped sometime after, and he suffered an injury. Sarfaraz was not picked for various other series, including the England tour, though he worked hard on his fitness and showed good form in domestic cricket. India needs someone in the middle order who takes on the spinners and is apt against pacers, and Sarfaraz fits the bill perfectly.
- Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya last played for India in 2021 on the Sri Lanka tour. However, he has been doing well in domestic white-ball cricket for Baroda and in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Lucknow Super Giants and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He played a huge role in RCB’s two IPL wins in 2025 and 2026. He also won the Player of the Match in the final in IPL 2025.
Krunal Pandya is someone who is looking for a left-arm spin all-rounder to replace Ravindra Jadeja and help out Axar Patel. Krunal’s experience with the ball and leadership qualities will come in handy for India but were not considered for the Indian team during Ajit Agarkar’s tenure.
- Rajat Patidar
During Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as BCCI chief selector, several players got chances in the Indian squad based on their performance in the Indian Premier League. However, Rajat Patidar, the captain who won two IPL titles for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2025 and 2026, still didn’t get a chance to play for India in any format.
Patidar has been a brilliant batter in domestic cricket for Madhya Pradesh and for India A as well. And while his performance with the bat in IPL warranted a comeback to the Indian side, it didn’t happen under Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad was once part of the Indian white-ball squad for a long time and even captained India to a T20I series win over Australia. He was touted to be a contender in the middle order in the Indian white-ball side. Gaikwad has shown amazing resilience and made sure that he scored and performed every time he got chances in the ODIs. It remains to be seen whether his fortunes change now that Ajit Agarkar’s tenure has ended.
- Mohammad Shami
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar being recalled in the Indian team, hopes have been rekindled for Mohammad Shami’s return as well. Shami, who was the highest wicket-taker for India in the 2023 World Cup, last played international cricket in 2025, in the ICC Champions Trophy victory. In the middle, he was out of action from the end of the 2023 World Cup to the start of the Champions Trophy.
He suffered some fitness issues and refused to tour England for tests, citing those issues, and since then, the Bengal pacer has not been considered for the Indian side. Shami has been consistent in Indian domestic cricket, in both red and ball cricket. And now that Ajit Agarkar is gone, chances are bright for Shami to come back.
