MSK Prasad Reveals Reason Behind Mayank Markande's Selection

Mayank Markande earned his maiden call up from Team India on Friday when the selectors named in the squad for the upcoming series against Australia. The leg-spinner from Punjab found a place in the T20I squad. The call-up comes just a few months after Markande showed his potential in the Indian Premier League. Playing for Mumbai Indians, Markande was one of the success stories of last season.

He had a dream debut in the league as he blew eventual winners Chennai Super Kings. The youngster accounted for the likes of MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu to finish with figures of 3 for 23 in the first game of the season in 2018.

It was the second best performance overall as a Mumbai Indians debutant after Lasith Malinga who had registered the figures of 3 for 15.

It then opened paved the way for his maiden call-up from India A squad and Markande impressed again. On Friday before hearing the news of his India call-up, he had starred for India A in their massive win over England Lions in the second unofficial Test. The leg-spinner picked up five wickets in the second innings, helping the home side thrash the tourists by an innings and 68 runs.

But while Markande has been making the news for all the right reasons in the last few months, many feel that the decision to include him in the team is not very well timed. The popular perception is that the selectors could have waited a bit long before calling Markande.

Chief selector MSK Prasad, however, has revealed why the selectors picked him up. Prasad said that the selectors are looking at Markande as backup spinner, saying:

“We are looking at Markande as a backup spinner. We have been grooming him though India A process and today also he picked up a five-wicket haul. So, we want to look at him and he’ll be a backup spinner.”

The third ODI will take place at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on March 8. The Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali will host the penultimate ODI on the 10th. The series will conclude with the final ODI at the iconic Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi on 13 March.

The series will be India’s last international assignment before the ICC World Cup in England and Wales. So the series will provide the Men in Blue with the final opportunity to carry out the experiments and fine-tune all the areas.