NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday lauded outgoing chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, saying that "history would be kinder" to the man whose conviction in "team first" was crucial to the country winning three ICC trophies during his tenure.
Agarkar's tenure ended last month and the BCCI on Tuesday invited applications to fill the vacant post.
This was after weeks of speculation over whether he would be considered for an extension.
"Dear Ajit Bhai, an absolute honour to work with you. Those 3 ICC trophies are testimony of your conviction: Team first & Team ahead, always..I must say, History will be kinder to you. Thank you for everything. My heartfelt wishes for your future endeavours!!" Gambhir posted.
India won the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cup, along with the 2025 Champions Trophy during Agarkar's tenure, during which he handled a transition that involved T20 and Test retirements of batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
He was perceived as ruthless and remained non-committal on whether Kohli and Rohit are in the scheme of things for the 2027 ODI World Cup.