Abhinav Mukund thanks chairman of selectors MSK Prasad for putting faith in him

What’s the story?

After a pretty successful Ranji Trophy season with Tamil Nadu, Abhinav Mukund has now been selected for the lone Test match series against Bangladesh starting on 9th of February at Hyderabad. The opener, on his return, thanked the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.

"MSK had a conversation with me during the Ranji Trophy. He told me that I was on their radar. That is about as much as any selector will tell you. I will have to give credit to him because I don't think any national selector has spoken to me before. This selection committee has actually told me that they are keeping a close watch on my performances. I have been working hard and continuing to do the best I can," he told Cricbuzz.

In case you didn’t know...

Abhinav Mukund was a part of the 2007 under-19 team that clinched the world cup in Kuala Lumpur under Virat Kohli. Although Mukund did not play a single game in the tournament, he was earmarked as one of for the future. Incidentally, it is now under the same captain Mukund will stage a comeback this month.

The heart of the matter

The Indian Test team has seen more than 5 opening combinations in the past one year. The southpaws Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir did not make the most of the opportunities and has thus paved the way for the selection committee to award Abhinav Mukund a chance at the top.

After a poor run in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season, he enjoyed enormous success this season. The left-hander scored 849 runs this season at an average of 65.30 to become the 9^th highest run scorer this season. He had also impressed with his bat when he was surprisingly included for the pink-ball Duleep trophy match where he scored a gritty 77 followed by a magnificent 169.

What’s next?

Before the commencement of the series against Bangladesh, Mukund will now lead India A in the two-day practice game against them which is starting on February 5. In the official Test match, it will not be a surprise if he opens the innings alongside Vijay. The duo is renowned for their opening combination for Tamil Nadu over the years. We need to wait and see if Rahul, who is more likely to open alongside Vijay in the Test will be rested for the game.

Sportskeeda’s take

Since returning from the injury, KL Rahul has not had a great run with the bat barring the 199 he scored in the fifth Test against England. With the Australian series to follow, India would surely like to try the in-form Mukund in the one-off Test against Bangladesh to keep their options open.