Kohli on Saturday dropped a bombshell by quitting Test captaincy, a day after India suffered a Test series defeat to a second-string South Africa.

The Delhi player signed off as India’s most successful captain with 40 wins in 68 Tests after taking over back in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia.

“I feel that the next India Test captain should be the one who can take the responsibility for a longer period of time. So accordingly, I would suggest KL Rahul’s name as the next test captain,” Jagdale, who was also an office-bearer with Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), told PTI.

The BCCI has not yet announced the next Test captain. Rohit Sharma was named Kohli’s deputy before the Test series against South Africa and Rahul took over captaincy duties during the second Test after both Kohli and Rohit suffered injuries.

The 71-year-old Indore-based Jagdale feels that Rahul has performed in all the three formats of the game. Jagdale also stressed that the BCCI and the selectors should ensure that the IPL “power centres” do not interfere in policies of Indian cricket.

Kohli took India to new heights in his tenure which saw the team become a force to reckon with in all conditions. However, in the past few months, Kohli endured tense relations with the BCCI which removed him as ODI skipper after the star batter decided to leave T20 captaincy.

Jagdale, who also played 53 first-class matches, hailed Kohli’s contribution.

“Nobody can ignore Kohli’s contribution in Test cricket,” Jagdale, one of the veteran administrators of the game, signed off.

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On Wednesday, Sourav Ganguly formally took charge as the BCCI president and during a press conference, the question of Dhoni future came up for discussion. The former India captain said the issue will be discussed adding Dhoni will be accorded the respect he deserves hinting he won’t be forced to quit.

Former India selector Sanjay Jagdale feels the issue is being blown out of proportion and it can be resolved by talking directly to Dhoni. “The issue of Dhoni’s future is not a big one and it should not be blown out of proportion,” Jagdale was quoted as saying by PTI. “Ganguly and the selectors can easily resolve this issue by talking directly to Dhoni. Such issues are normally resolved by holding talks with big cricketers in every country.”

Ganguly is the first international cricketer to have headed BCCI in 65 years and Jagdale feels his experience as the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will prove beneficial to Indian cricket. Before taking over as the president of CAB, Ganguly also served as the secretary of the state association.

“It’s a good start. I believe his vast experience as a cricketer and sports administrator will benefit Indian cricket,”Jagdale said.

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Amid speculation that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is contemplating retirement, former national selector Sanjay Jagdale Friday said the MSK Prasad-led selection panel should find out what was going on in the veteran wicket-keeper’s mind about his future.

However, Jadgale, a former BCCI secretary, asserted that Dhoni was mature enough to take a call on his retirement from limited overs cricket.

The 38-year-old 2011 Word Cup-winning captain, whose finishing abilities with the bat has been on the wane, would be the centre of discussion when the national selection committee meets in Mumbai Sunday to pick up squads for the West Indies series starting next month.

ALSO READ: MS Dhoni retirement: Plenty of speculation ahead of India’s squad announcement on July 21

“Dhoni is a great player and has always selflessly played for India. In my opinion, the Indian team currently has no viable alternative to Dhoni as wicketkeeper-batsman, Jagdale told PTI.

There is intense speculation that the Jharkhand player, who opted out of Test cricket in 2014, is mulling retirement even though he himself has remained tight-lipped about his future plans.

Thus, Dhoni’s selection or omission for the West Indies tour would be an indicator of things to come in the future.

ALSO READ: Selectors to meet on July 21 at 11:30am to pick team for West Indies

“Dhoni is mature enough to take a decision on his retirement. But the (national) selectors should meet him to find out what is going on in his mind about his professional future as was done in the case of Sachin Tendulkar before his retirement, added Jagdale (68), a former office-bearer of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.

“The selectors should also inform Dhoni in what capacity they want to see him in the future, he said.

ALSO READ: Selectors should inform Dhoni if he’s dropped or not: Virender Sehwag

Dhoni was criticised for slow batting during the World Cup, where India’s campaign ended in the semi-finals, but Jagdale, a former first-class player, defended the ex-captain, saying he played as per the situation.

“Dhoni played in the World Cup as per the team’s requirement. In the semi-final also he was batting as per the same strategy but unfortunately he got run out at a crucial moment (in the game), he said.

ALSO READ: MSD, ODI No 4, injuries and rotation the dilemmas for BCCI selectors

Jagdale said it would be improper to say that as a cricketer Dhoni has erred. “It is not expected from a 38-year-old player to play with the same energy and vigour that he displayed in his prime days.

Taking a dig at those criticising Dhoni, Jagdale said, “Even those players are criticising him who have not played well in their career. However, only true players know Dhoni’s worth.”

ALSO READ: Right time to nurture young wicketkeeper-batsmen like Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson: Gautam Gambhir

However, Jagdale said keeping future in mind, young wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant should be given opportunity.

“Before the World Cup, Pant should have been included in the ODI team alongside Dhoni as Pant could have learned from him,” said Jagdale.

Pant (21) was not in the World Cup squad, but was called as a replacement for injured opener Shikhar Dhawan.

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Former BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale on Saturday said that in his opinion Ajinkya Rahane should have been the number four batsman in India’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 squad as he brings solidarity to the line-up.

The Virat Kohli-led side went ahead with Vijay Shankar in the No. 4 spot, but he failed to take the initiative and returned after being injured. Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul were also tried but they also proved to be unsuccessful.

“In my opinion, the Indian team needs a batsman like Ajinkya Rahane at number four. We have tried many options at the batting position for the past three months. We tried those batsmen who did not have a good record overseas. Rahane has always scored good runs in England,” Jagdale said on Saturday. (ALSO READ: ‘Would like to see Rohit Sharma lead India in 2023 World Cup’)

The Indian team tried many options at the number four batting slot before the World Cup. Ambati Rayudu was given a consistent run at the batting position, but when the squad was announced Vijay Shankar was named in the squad.

Shankar failed to leave a mark and later he was ruled out of the tournament due to a toe niggle. Pant replaced him in the squad. Jagdale said that both Pant and Rahane should have been given a consistent run in the ODI side as they have a good overseas record.

“Rishabh Pant also scored a Test hundred in England. He even went on to make a Test hundred in Australia. But the ODI series against Australia, both Pant and Rahane did not feature in the series,” Jagdale said. (ALSO READ: I made many errors when I was young in my career, Rishabh Pant will learn: Kohli)

“We tried Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu and Vijay Shankar. Karthik and Rayudu have been playing since 2003 but they haven’t been to establish themselves yet. If they haven’t established themselves yet, we should have looked at other options. I have been advocating for three months now that Rahane should be number four. Pant should have been also named in the original squad as he is the future,” he added.

The Indian team was knocked out of the World Cup as the side lost against New Zealand by 18 runs in the semi-final. Jagdale said that the better team came out triumphant on that day and the Men in Blue did not play bad cricket.

“The better team won on that day. It’s not like we played bad cricket. There was a small patch where we did not execute our skills better, New Zealand bowled exceptionally well. Indian team played a good brand of cricket throughout the tournament,” Jagdale said.

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A monthly gratis is paid to cricketers who have played at least 25 first-class games by 2003-04, but the amount has not been revised since 2015 despite repeated requests to the Committee of Administrators (CoA).

The affected players wrote to BCCI acting president C K Khanna, who, in turn, has requested the CoA to address the issue. “BCCI keeps the welfare of its cricketers in mind, and the former cricketers are reaching out to BCCI with a hope that the areas highlight by them will be looked into and implemented.

“While discussions have been held over the revision of pension of retired international cricketers and domestic cricketers who played at least 25 first-class games by 2003-04 and that the amount was revised in 2015; the players are waiting for revision of pension,” Khanna wrote in his e-mail to the CoA.

Players who have played more than 75 first-class games have also been recipients of BCCI’s one-time benefit scheme but multiple requests have been made to the BCCI to include cricketers who have played less than 75 matches.

Jagdale, who has also been a BCCI secretary, has played 53 first-class games for Madhya Pradesh while Delhi’s Dani has featured in 49 matches. “The former players’ demand is a valid one and should be addressed at the earliest. The BCCI’s chief financial officer has been told to work on it but there is no clarity over the reason for delay,” a board official revealed.

It is unlikely that the current dispensation will approve the players’ request anytime soon with fresh elections set to be held on October 22.

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Indore: Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia, president Sanjay Jagdale and two others have ceased to be in the office following the Supreme Court’s directive to implement the Lodha Panel reforms, said MPCA’s CEO on Wednesday. “In the light of the Lodha Committee recommendations and Supreme Court’s orders, Scindia, Jagdale along with two vice- presidents of MPCA, M K Bhargava and Ashok Jagdale have automatically demitted their respective offices,” MPCA CEO Rohit Pandit told PTI. He informed that maximum term of holding the office in BCCI and states’ cricket associations is nine years as per the Lodha panel recommendations. “Since Scindia and Jagdale held different posts in MPCA’s management committee for more than nine years, they can’t remain MPCA office-bearers for further period,” he added.

Pandit also informed that two out of three vice-presidents including Bhargava and Ashok Jagdale too cannot hold the office under maximum age cap of 70 years according to the Lodha committee recommendations. Scindia got associated with MPCA sometime after the death of his father and the then MPCA president Madhavrao Scindia in an airplane crash in 2001. Jyotiraditya also held the post of MPCA president for some time. Sanjay Jagdale, who was holding the post of MPCA president, however refused to comment on this issue.

“This is a legal issue. So, I can’t make any comment on this subject,” he said when asked what will be MPCA’s next step. Indore recently became one of India’s latest Test venues, when it hosted the third and final Test of the series between India and New Zealand.

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Sachin Tendulkar will tune in from abroad by video link to help choose India’s new coach after he was handed the task alongside fellow batting greats Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman, dubbed the “holy trinity” by Indian media, together with senior official Sanjay Jagdale, will get to work after the flood of 57 applications was whittled down to 21, a statement said on Thursday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) release added that Tendulkar, who is out of the country, “has confirmed his availability as and when required through video conference facilities”. The high-powered committee has less than a week to pick a coach, with their choice expected to be submitted for approval by June 22. The new coach is likely to be appointed before India’s tour of the West Indies in July. READ: Sachin Tendulkar poses with Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square

“The said committee… will process and scrutinise all the applications, conduct interviews and seek presentations from candidates as the committee deems fit,” BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said in the statement. “Should the committee desire to look at all the 57 applications as well, the said will be made available to them.” The BCCI hasn’t named any of the candidates, but media reports suggest that the front-runners are former team director Ravi Shastri and current chief selector Sandeep Patil. READ: Sunil Gavaskar backs Rahul Dravid as Team India coach

It is great that former players have come together to give their suggestions over the picking of India’s next coach. Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman are experienced cricketers, and BCCI is expected to take their advice seriously.

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Former East Zone selector Raja Venkat in a shocking revelation came out in public to expose one of Indian cricket’s best-kept secret. Back in 2012, MS Dhoni’s ODI captaincy would have ended had it not been for N Srinivasan and Virat Kohli would not had to wait three years to lead India. Venkat was the selector from 2008-2012.

In his column for Bengali daily Ebela, Venkat wrote, “It was a four-Test series in Australia in 2011-12 and after India had lost the first three matches, we decided that a change of guard was necessary.”

“Mohinder Amarnath and Narendra Hirwani (then selectors from North Zone and Central Zone respectively) had accompanied the team Down Under and upon their return they reported that there were several factions within the team. Team spirit had hit rock bottom. We wanted someone who could restore unity in the team. Virat was our choice, for he was not into any faction and had also brilliantly led North Zone to the 2010-11 Deodhar Trophy title. Before that he had impressed as the captain of India Under-19 team.”

India’s tour to Australia 2012 was pretty disastrous. India were whitewashed 0-4. Following which the selectors met and passed a unanimous decision.

“You’ve to respect what he has written. I haven’t gone through it, but I hope details are there. For my part, I don’t want to add anything. I will say, when I’ve to say (about it),” Amarnath was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Venkat said, “We had unanimously decided to bring in a new captain. We believed Dhoni’s time was up and Virat should take over. We had met to pick the squad for the ODI leg of the tour, but as per the BCCI constitution, we couldn’t announce the team for an overseas series without the president’s consent. Srinivasan just didn’t allow us to make the change and replace Dhoni.”

The story goes that the then chief of BCCI, Srinivasan, was busy playing golf when the then-secretary Sanjay Jagdale informed him about the selectors’ decision. Surprised Srinivasan asked Jagdale to put a hold on the announcement. Few hours later, he arrived and refused to allow the changes. Everyone what happened next, Amarnath was removed in the next Annual General Meeting. Jagdale refused to comment on the issue, after resigning from the position in the wake of IPL 2013 spot-fixing controversy.

“Three years down the line, our decision has been vindicated. We wanted to make him (Kohli) India captain three years ago, but N Srinivasan played spoilsport. Virat is a terrific batsman, excellent team man and a fighter. He will help India unfold a new chapter,” Venkat wrote.

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Dec 9, 2014

Axed Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner and former Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) Chief Lalit Modi challenged N Srinivasan, erstwhile Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President on Tuesday for a face to face confrontation regarding the spot-fixing scandal and the betting as well as corruption allegation against him in the BCCI.

During an interview conducted by Times Now, Modi said that he was tired of hearing the allegations for a long time and demanded immediate and strict action against the suspended chief.

“N Srinivasan is guilty of the ill happenings and cannot hold any position in the BCCI,” he said, blaming Srinivasan for everything that has been happening wrong in the BCCI and the Indian cricket so far.

He added by saying, “I created IPL and during my reign I made sure it was clean and perfect. I funded nobody. Nobody can tell me what to do with IPL. My credential speaks for themselves. IPL is my baby and they are killing it.”

On being asked that he having no power in the administration as of now, who are his common enemy, to which he promptly replied, “Srinivasan, fixers and mafia are the common enemy and I want to clean up the cricket in India by removing them.”

“I have been fighting for this since the past four-and-a-half years and would continue to do so. I will do whatever it takes and clean Indian cricket and also support the one who chooses to clean it up along with me.” he added.

Modi also claimed to be clean enough during his tenure in the IPL and said that there was nothing as such corruption during his reign as wanted it to remain as clean as it can. He said that he wanted the players to go out, play good cricket and entertain the crowd.

On being asked that what was he doing to remove the ill-happenings in cricket and if he was in touch with former BCCI President, Sharad Pawar, he said that he was in touch with Pawar, IS Bindra, Sanjay Jagdale and Shashank Manohar, and was doing whatever is possible to clean up Indian cricket. He says that it was their common purpose. He also said that whoever is supporting Srinivasan from hereon should be removed as well from the administration immediately.

Modi also claims that the whole system created by Srinivasan in Indian cricket needs to be cleaned and the employees representing India Cements should also be removed, or else there would be another Srinivasan coming in and creating the same turmoil. “Srinivasan, fixers and mafia are the common enemy. I want to clean up the cricket in India by removing them and want to make Indian cricket mafia-free,” he said.

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Aug 27, 2014

Sanjay Jagdale was elected as unopposed president of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA). In May last year, while resigning as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary at the height of the raging Indian Premier League (IPL) betting-fixing controversy, Jagdale had vowed never to return to cricket administration, but on Sunday, August 24, he was “forced” back into administration again.  After being selected he said, initially his priority would be to develop infrastructure at the grassroots level and play a big hand in the state team’s transition.

“First of all, I was not really interested in it. I was literally forced into it by our cricketers. Everyone, including [Jyotiraditya] Scindia ji, said that I should come in for at least two years. I agreed because a scenario emerged that there would be no election,” Jagdale told MAIL TODAY.

A former national selector and Madhya Pradesh Ranji Trophy captain, Jagdale, 63, didn’t have to contest as the opposition decided against fielding candidates for any position while Scindia was elected chairman.

“It’ll now take some time to assess and decide what has to be done and where,” Jagdale said, generally speaking. However, when asked specifically, he said his focus would be on developing the game at the lowest level.

“More than the administration, I’d be helping the MPCA to develop a new team. Basically, I’d be more involved in cricketing matters. I’d be focussing more on the grassroots level and the districts to upgrade facilities and infrastructure there. Madhya Pradesh team has been doing very well for last six-seven years. The progress has been good. But I’ll try to go down to the grassroots level and the district level,” he emphasised. “I’d like to focus on the playing facilities, coaching, and tournaments.”

He further added, “Most probably, we’ll be starting the reshuffling, the rebuilding process this year, as the [players’] lot is changing. We’ll be trying to develop fresh talent. There are a lot of seniors who are on the verge of retirement,” he said without revealing names. “We’ve sent an under-23 team to Australia to gain exposure. It’s not the Ranji Trophy team, but it comprises some Ranji players.”

MPCA is aggrieved that it was not allotted an ODI during the upcoming series against the West Indies. “I was totally out of it [administration]. But I’ll definitely take it up with the authorities [in the BCCI],” Jagdale signed off.

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