The Indian team has undergone significant changes in recent times, and head Coach Gautam Gambhir is often blamed for this. Gambhir has played a significant role, but the chief selector has played a much larger role behind the scenes.

The past year has seen significant changes within Team India. The captaincy has completely changed across all three formats. Several new players have established themselves in the team. However, this change has drawn criticism from fans and experts alike on social media, with Gambhir facing accusations of initiating these changes immediately upon his arrival. While this is true, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar has played a crucial role behind the scenes, with many prominent Indian cricket legends retiring since his arrival.

Ajit Agarkar became the selector of Team India in July 2013. At this time, there were talks of change within Team India, but it still didn't seem to be happening. However, once Agarkar took charge, he gradually initiated a process of change, starting with the removal of two major stalwarts of the Test team.

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Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara, who had made the most of his name as a pure Test batsman for the Indian team over the past decade, was also among the first to be dropped. Pujara was dropped from Team India after playing in the 2023 World Test Championship final. It was after this final that Agarkar became the chief selector, and Pujara was unable to return. Even after his ouster, Pujara continued to play domestic and county cricket, scoring runs. But when all this failed and Agarkar's selection committee failed to open its doors to him, Pujara recently announced his retirement.

Ajinkya Rahane

Like Pujara, Rahane was the backbone of Team India's Test batting and returned to the team after being dropped on several occasions. His comeback in the WTC 2023 final was a similar one, where he also scored the most runs. The next series, against the West Indies, saw Rahane appointed vice-captain. However, as soon as Agarkar took over, the doors of the team were closed for Rahane from the very next series. The star batsman has been playing domestic cricket regularly since then, but now his return is unlikely, and he could announce his retirement at any time.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the biggest reasons for the Indian cricket team's success over the past decade, abruptly retired during the Australia tour. Ashwin's mid-series retirement came as a surprise, and perhaps Agarkar wasn't entirely responsible. Gambhir appears to have played a significant role in this, having denied him three consecutive Tests during the Australia tour. But did selector Agarkar hint at any changes to Ashwin after the home series defeat against New Zealand?

Rohit Sharma

The sudden fall of Team India captain Rohit Sharma from glory to ravages was shocking. Rohit's performance in the Test series against New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Australia was poor. Nevertheless, he had expressed his intention to continue playing. However, in May, he surprised everyone by abruptly retiring from Test cricket. Now, Agarkar has stripped Rohit of the ODI captaincy, perhaps making it clear that his place in the team is uncertain in this format either.

Virat Kohli

Hardly anyone would have imagined that Virat Kohli, the greatest batsman in Indian cricket and perhaps even world cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, would suddenly end his Test career with a single Instagram post. Few would have imagined that Kohli, who has scored the most centuries in ODI cricket, would be forced to play a single ODI series. But Agarkar and Gambhir, citing team changes, made it clear to the legendary batsman that Team India is ready to move forward without him, and it wouldn't be surprising if Kohli retires from ODIs sometime soon.

Mohammed Shami

The latest addition to this list is star pacer Shami. After leading the Indian team to success in Test cricket for the past eight to nine years and then taking nearly 40 wickets in two consecutive ODI World Cups, Shami suddenly seems to be out of Team India's plans in every format. After struggling with his fitness for a full year after the 2023 World Cup, Shami returned to the Champions Trophy this year, taking nine wickets and leading the team to victory. However, citing fitness concerns, he was not selected for the England tour, and now, without explanation, he has been omitted for the ODI series in Australia. Clearly, Agarkar and company have sealed Shami's future.

 PC:TV9BharatVarsh