Virat Kohli Factor Was Top-Most Priority To Pick New Selection Panel: Madan Lal

Former left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi has replaced MSK Prasad as the chief of the BCCI selection panel. And also, the former pacer Harvinder Singh has joined the panel as a replacement for Gagan Khoda. Speaking of the same, Madan Lal stated that Virat Kohli factor was huge during the selection of the candidates.

Kohli has always been an influential candidate in the selection procedure being the skipper of the Indian National Cricket Team.

To have smooth proceedings, Madan and RP Singh picked Joshi as the chief selector, who can handle Virat Kohli’s thoughts and behaviour.

We liked Sunil Joshi’s straightforward attitude: Madan Lal

Harvinder was chosen from the central zone and replaces Khoda in the panel. The existing members of the selection panel are Jatin Paranjpe (West), Devang Gandhi (East) and Sarandeep Singh (North).

“We have picked the best guys for the job. We picked them (Joshi and Harvinder) because they were clear in their views,” Lal told PTI.

Specifically, on Joshi, Lal said: “We liked his straight-forward attitude. He is experienced also (having been part of the Bangladesh support staff).”We had this (Virat) factor the most in our mind,” Madan Lal said as per ANI.

Joshi’s selection from South Zone and Harvinder getting picked from Central Zone also shows that the Board has stuck with the zonal policy.

The CAC had shortlisted five candidates for interviews — Joshi, Harvinder, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Chauhan and L S Sivaramakrishnan — from a list of 40 applicants.

Virat Kohli factor top-most priority to pick BCCI’s new selection panel:

On the work front, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been the topic of discussion for his form.

The captain could manage to score only one half-century across 11 innings in all the three formats. His lack of runs, especially in the Test series was one of the biggest factors behind the team’s struggle in New Zealand.