Ex India internationals Pragyan Ojha and Rudra Pratap Singh are set to be inducted into the BCCI's senior national selection panel, filling the vacancies left by Subroto Banerjee (Central Zone) and S. Sharath (South Zone) as per a report by The Indian Express. The Board of Control for Cricket in India had invited applications last month, but according to the report, the response from high-profile former cricketers was limited.
Among the applicants were ex-India fast bowler Praveen Kumar, along with former Uttar Pradesh pacer Ashish Winston Zaidi and Himachal Pradesh cricketer Shakti Singh. Despite their applications, Ojha and RP Singh have emerged as frontrunners, thanks to their international experience and eligibility under the board's criteria.
The eligibility requirements for the role included a minimum of seven Test matches, or 30 First-Class matches, or a combination of 10 ODIs and 20 First-Class games. Additionally, candidates needed to have retired from professional cricket at least five years ago and should not have served on any BCCI cricket committee for more than five years in total.
RP Singh's credentials make him a strong candidate for the role. The left-arm pacer played 14 Tests, 58 ODIs, and 10 T20Is between 2005 and 2011. He was also a key member of India's squad that lifted the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 under MS Dhoni's captaincy. Pragyan Ojha, meanwhile, enjoyed success as a left-arm spinner for India, featuring in 24 Tests, 18 ODIs, and 6 T20Is from 2008 to 2013. His consistency in the longer format, where he picked up 113 Test wickets, remains his biggest achievement.
The selection process will be overseen by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), consisting of Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe, and Sulakshna Naik. The CAC is responsible for shortlisting and interviewing applicants before sending their recommendations to the BCCI office-bearers for approval.
With Ojha and Singh expected to take charge from next month, the new panel will step into an important phase of Indian cricket, tasked with overseeing selections across formats as the team prepares for upcoming bilateral series and ICC tournaments. Their inclusion could bring fresh perspectives to India's selection strategy, combining experience from different eras of the game.
