Parvinder Awana Named India’s Chief Selector for Junior Cricket

India’s junior cricket pathway has a new gatekeeper. Former fast bowler Parvinder Awana has been appointed Chairperson of the BCCI Junior Selection Committee, and three fellow former players join him on the panel. One spot is still vacant, so the squad is not yet complete.

Awana Takes Charge of Junior Cricket

The BCCI announced the move on Friday, October 23, through its social media channels. Awana will now lead the group that picks India’s next generation of talent.

The appointment follows a formal process run by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). The panel shortlisted Awana for the vacant chairperson role.

How the Selection Process Worked

The BCCI said in its official release:

“The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) conducted a selection process for the appointment of members to the Junior Cricket Committee. The CAC screened and interviewed applicants and, following the process, recommended the appointment of Parvinder Awana as Chairman, along with Krishna Das, Rakesh Patel, and N. Arjun Yadav as members of the Committee.”

The fifth selector’s post remains open. The board says that selection will be made shortly.

Meet the Junior Selection Committee

The new panel blends bowling expertise with deep coaching experience. Here is who is on board so far.

Krishna Das and Rakesh Patel

Krishna Das is a former Assam and Goa fast bowler. He played 49 First-Class matches and took 166 wickets, and he represented India U19 and India A. He later worked as a bowling coach with Uttarakhand and India U-19.

Rakesh Patel played for Gujarat and Baroda, and also turned out for India A. He has coached Baroda and Gujarat at U19, U23 and senior level. He was Head Coach of the Baroda U23 team in the 2025-26 season.

N. Arjun Yadav

Arjun Yadav played 83 First-Class matches and represented India A. He was part of India’s U19 World Cup-winning squad in 2000. After his playing days with Hyderabad, he became Head Coach of the Hyderabad senior and U23 teams.

Awana’s Playing and Coaching Background

Awana brings plenty of experience to the chair. He played two T20Is for India and featured in 62 First-Class matches. He picked up 191 wickets in those games.

He represented Delhi, India A and Rest of India. He also played in the IPL for Punjab, then known as Kings XI Punjab.

From Fast Bowler to Coach

After retiring, Awana moved into coaching. He worked with Delhi’s U16, U19 and U23 teams, as well as India U19. He also took part in various BCCI and COE high-performance programmes.

That grassroots exposure should help him judge young talent. He has seen how players develop from age-group cricket into the senior game.

The Senior Selection Committee at a Glance

The junior panel is not the only selection group in the news. For the senior teams, Pragyan Ojha will head the committee. The former India spinner succeeds Ajit Agarkar as chief selector.

Ramesh Powar has also been added to the senior panel. Here is the full list.

What Happens Next

The immediate question is who fills the fifth junior selector’s seat. The BCCI has promised an announcement soon.

Once the panel is complete, Awana’s group will be responsible for picking India’s youth sides. With three of the four named members having bowling backgrounds, the committee has strong pace and spin knowledge.

Both the junior and senior committees now have fresh leadership. Fans will be watching how these new selectors shape India’s talent pipeline.