# Pragyan Ojha named chief selector, Ramesh Powar joins panel 2026-10-19T13:31:39+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The BCCI on Monday, 19 October, appointed former spinner Pragyan Ojha as chairman of the men's cricket selection committee, replacing Ajit Agarkar. Ojha will lead the panel based on seniority, having played the most Test matches among the committee members. Former off-spinner Ramesh Powar has also been inducted as a new member of the selection panel. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, completed the selection process for the new member, unanimously recommending Powar's name after screening and interviews at the BCCI headquarters. Powar has previously served as head coach of the Indian women's team, leading them to an Asia Cup title and a Commonwealth Games silver medal, and has also coached Mumbai and Gujarat teams. The BCCI appreciated Agarkar's tenure, during which India won three ICC trophies, two Asia Cup titles, and back-to-back gold medals at the Asian Games. The new selection committee comprises Pragyan Ojha (chairman), Shiv Sunder Das, RP Singh, Ajay Ratra, and Ramesh Powar. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both Aaj Tak and Amar Ujala reported the selection committee changes as straightforward announcements, with no critical or political framing. Aaj Tak highlighted the CAC process and Powar's coaching credentials in greater detail, while Amar Ujala led with Ojha's appointment and the seniority basis. The BCCI's praise for Agarkar's tenure, including the tally of three ICC trophies and two Asia Cup wins, appears verbatim in both reports. The uniform coverage suggests the BCCI's press release was the sole source, with neither outlet adding independent scrutiny. The concrete next step is the composition of the new five-member panel, which is now set. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - aajtak.in (neutral report) Straightforward announcement of appointments, listing CAC process and achievements - amarujala.com (neutral report) Brief factual report, leading with Ojha's appointment and seniority basis This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Ajit Agarkar, BCCI, Men's Selection Committee, Pragyan Ojha, Ramesh Powar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/pragyan-ojha-named-chief-selector-ramesh-powar-joins-panel/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/pragyan-ojha-named-chief-selector-ramesh-powar-joins-panel/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/