Ashwin reveals why he doesn't want BCCI selection committee role
What's the story
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he is not keen on becoming the BCCI selection committee chairman, a post currently occupied by Ajit Agarkar.
The statement comes amid a raging debate over the exclusion of star players such as Sanju Samson, Karun Nair, and Ruturaj Gaikwad from India's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad.
Meanwhile, Ashwin expressed his opinion on the controversial matter on his YouTube channel.
Empathy
Ashwin empathizes with Agarkar's selection challenges
Ashwin sympathized with Agarkar, saying, "I mean, I don't want to be the chairman of selectors or team manager or be in this decision-making position."
He also pointed out how selectors have a tough job with India's overflowing cricketing talent.
The veteran spinner stressed that if both Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad do well in the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season, it would be a "problem of plenty" for the selectors.
Selection criteria
Ashwin advocates for pressure performers in big tournaments
Ashwin also suggested that players who can perform under pressure should be prioritized for major tournaments.
"But, going forward, we must ensure that whatever the performances are, we will have to focus on pressure parameters for a big tournament," he said.
Meanwhile, he believes that India needs cricketers who can alleviate team pressure with their performances in ICC tournaments.
Squad controversy
Nair's exclusion from Champions Trophy squad raises eyebrows
The decision to leave out Karun Nair from the Champions Trophy squad has stirred controversy.
Despite having delivered several match-winning performances for Vidarbha in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy and scoring 779 runs in eight innings at an average of 389.50.
Notably, Nair was left out of India's official squad for the upcoming ICC event.
Meanwhile, this has further fueled the selection debate.
Omission details
Samson and Gaikwad's omission from Champions Trophy squad
Samson, who was a standout performer in India's four-match T20I series against South Africa last year, was also snubbed from the 2025 Champions Trophy squad.
Despite being the second-highest scorer (216 runs) and scoring two centuries in that series, Samson didn't make the cut.
Additionally, Gaikwad, a consistent performer for Maharashtra in domestic cricket with considerable runs in both Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 and Ranji Trophy 2025 seasons, was also overlooked.