‘Sometimes, we didn’t want to see each other’ – MSK Prasad recalls having heated arguments with Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri

MSK Prasad’s tenure as India’s chief selector was marred with several controversies. From dropping Yuvraj Singh to picking Vijay Shankar ahead of Ambati Rayudu for the 2019 World Cup, Prasad came under the scanner for many of his decisions. With Prasad playing just 23 international games in his career, fans and critics often called out the officials for picking selectors who had little experience of playing at the highest level.

For the unversed, the former batsman became India’s selector in 2016 and picked the national team for two major ICC events – the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup. In a recent interaction, Prasad opened about his time at the helm and made several interesting statements. He also recalled getting indulged in heated discussions with Indian captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri.

You ask them what kind of arguments we had: MSK Prasad

The 46-year-old even revealed that many of his meetings with Kohli and Shastri ended on a bitter note but things would get normal the next day. “You ask them what kind of arguments we had. Sometimes, we didn’t want to see each other (after meetings) but the beauty of them is that the next morning when we would meet they would recognize and acknowledge that there is (merit in the) point we made. I am a management student and know how to manage,” Prasad said to Cricket.com.

“People want me to blame someone publicly? Why should I do that because it is my family? I may like or dislike decisions even at home in my family, but can I come out and say something publicly? Virat and Ravi will tell you about that (how we used to have heated debates). Just because we didn’t have differences publicly doesn’t mean that we were succumbing to them. Who knows how we have convinced them on so many issues,” he added.

Prasad’s tenure as the chief selector came to an end in 2020, and Sunil Joshi replaced him. As of now, Team India is gearing up for the much-awaited ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, getting underway on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Virat Kohli’s men have done exceptionally well in red-ball cricket lately and would be determined to get their hands on the elusive title.