The Rohit Sharma ‘retirement’ saga that unfolded last month seems to have caused a huge crack in the relationship between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Devajit Saikia, and the men’s selectors.
The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, had conveyed to Rohit before India toured England that the team was looking beyond him for the 2027 World Cup and that the final match of the ODI series at Lord’s could be his final appearance. Rohit, who has been working hard on his fitness to retain his place, was said to be unhappy with the message and approached some hitherto unnamed officials in the board to express his feelings.
However, once the news emerged publicly and triggered a strong reaction in the public, BCCI secretary Devajit
Saikia rejected the reports outright. As per The Indian Express, the selectors were quite ‘unhappy’ with Saikia’s comments.
“I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday. Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team, and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match,” Saikia had told PTI.
Rohit strengthened his place further with a century at Lord’s, though it came in a losing cause. But while he slipped away from the limelight, wheels began to turn at the board.
The contrasting messages reportedly caused considerable unease within the board, as the selectors’ communication with Rohit appeared to have gone beyond what the BCCI was prepared to publicly endorse. According to The Telegraph, a senior board official has intervened to resolve the situation in London.
VVS Laxman coming to clean the mess?
The incident seems to have made the case for a more centralised cricketing structure, with VVS Laxman being considered for a Director of Cricket role that could place captains, coaches and selectors under his oversight. The idea is partly aimed at ensuring clearer communication and preventing similar disagreements between the selection committee and the BCCI in the future.
