India, Sept. 19 -- Ajit Agarkar's tenure as India's chief selector appears to be approaching its end. The former India all-rounder has communicated to the BCCI that he intends to step down when his current term expires on October 4, although the Board has stopped short of formally announcing his departure. It would close a three-year period in which India reached the 2023 ODI World Cup final, won the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups and lifted the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Judging a selector only by trophies, however, misses the more interesting story. Selection changes careers: some players acquire permanence, leadership and repeated chances, while others move from the heart of the national side to its margins. To measure that movement, we con...