BCCI selection committee: Mongia, Maninder, Ajay Ratra, Shiv Sunder Das apply for India selector post

New Delhi: Nayan Mongia, Maninder Singh, Shiv Sunder Das, and Ajay Ratra are among the contenders vying to join the BCCI’s new senior men’s selection committee.

The application deadline was Monday (November 28), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now expected to create a Cricket Advisory Committee to undertake interviews before making a decision.
The new selection panel’s first task will be to choose the Indian side for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka at home in 2023.

Meanwhile, the outgoing panel, led by Chetan Sharma, will continue to function. Its members are now monitoring the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-overs competition, and the Cooch Behar Trophy knockout stages.

Das is currently employed as a batting coach with Punjab. Prior to that, he worked as a coach at the National Cricket Academy and with the Indian women’s squad. If Das is appointed, as many of his colleagues anticipate he will be, he will succeed his former Odisha teammate Debasis Mohanty.

Former India fast bowler Mohanty has finished his five-year term as a selector, having previously served in junior cricket.

Badani is another real contender believed to be in the contest, which he neither confirmed nor denied. He presently works as a fielding coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and has a successful track record in the TNPL as the head coach of Chepauk Super Gillies, who have won three titles in a row (the 2022 title was shared) as per ESPNcricinfo.

The present selection committee has three members who can reapply for their jobs, and while it is unclear if Chetan and Harvinder Singh will do so, Sunil Joshi is expected to step down. That leaves the position of west zone selector, which has been empty since Abey Kuruvilla’s stint expired late last year.

Meanwhile, Deep Dasgupta and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, two additional names circulating from the east, have stated that they have not applied. Dasgupta is now a broadcaster, while Shukla is the Bengal team’s head coach, having taken over from Arun Lal only six months ago.

Among the new applicants, Mongia has previously served on a Baroda selection committee at both the junior and senior levels. He is also one of the more experienced candidates, having played 44 Tests and 140 ODIs.

Sameer Dighe and Salil Ankola of Mumbai, as well as Gyanendra Pandey of Uttar Pradesh and Reetinder Sodhi of Punjab, have expressed interest in the position. Ajit Agarkar, one of the few high-profile candidates from the last round, has not applied this time.

The BCCI set a minimum qualification level of seven Tests or 30 first-class matches, or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches, for applicants while advertising for the new selection panel. They should also have retired at least five years prior and be under the age of 60. When formed, the committee will have five members, one from each zone.