Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri appreciated us after Mayank Agarwal's Boxing Day knock: MSK Prasad

MSK Prasad was the Indian cricket team’s chief selector from 2016 to 2020, and his tenure was marred with controversies. From dropping Yuvraj Singh to selecting Vijay Shankar over Ambati Rayudu for the 2019 World Cup, Prasad came under the scanner for many of his decisions. With the former batsman being a veteran of just 23 international games, fans even questioned BCCI for picking selectors who had little experience of playing at the highest level.

During Prasad’s term, however, Team India also discovered some talented youngsters who impressed in national colours. Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant are some of the players who fall under that category. In an interaction, Prasad recalled receiving appreciation from Indian skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri after Mayank Agarwal’s magnificent outing on Test debut.

MSK Prasad recalls Mayank Agarwal’s magnificent show on debut

For the unversed, Agarwal got his maiden international cap during the third Test of 2018-19 Australia tour in Melbourne. The opener impressed straight away with a well-paced 76 on his first assignment. He followed it up with a 42 in the second innings as India comprehensively won the game by 137 runs. Prasad recalled that Kohli and Shastri lauded his selection after Mayank’s match-winning show.

“The way Mayank Agarwal played on his Test debut on Boxing Day. That evening Virat and Ravi really appreciated us. They started feeling that these people meant some business. Until then maybe it wasn’t as much. After that whichever India A player we suggested, he was given a smooth, smooth transition to the senior India level,” Prasad said in a conversation with Cricbuzz.

Prasad also revealed that Vihari, Shaw and Pant’s impressive show in their first few international games left Kohli and Shastri in awe. “Hanuma Vihari on his debut scores a 50. Prithvi Shaw scored a 100 on debut. Rishabh Pant scores a 100 in his first series in England, takes 10 catches. Even Ravi and Virat were surprised with the attitude these cricketers showed. They never showed any signs of pressure. They looked like they belonged in this league,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Prasad’s tenure at the helm came to an end in March 2020 and former Indian all-rounder Sunil Joshi took over the reins from him. The Joshi-led selection committee has also selected India’s squad for ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand.