Mayank Agarwal: How Biased Indian Selectors Cut A Sorry Figure For The Record-Breaking Batsman

Whether you like Virat Kohli or not, there is little doubt regarding his abilities as a batsman and captain in the gentleman's game. Under his tutelage, the Indian cricket team has scaled new heights in international cricket. His aggressive brand of cricket has become the motto of the Indian side which is no longer afraid of expressing themselves on the field. But, Kohli's contribution isn't just restricted to the field of play. Thanks to Kohli's lust for fitness, the current crop of the Indian cricket team are one of the fittest bunches in modern-day cricket. More importantly, the fact that the Indian selectors have now made it mandatory for the senior players to prove their mettle in the domestic circuit to earn a call-up for the national team proves that the days of favouritism are long gone. The Indian domestic circuit, for a long time, was believed to be a pivotal platform for a cricketer to prove his mettle in order to be eligible for a Team India call-up. However, more often than not, the domestic form of many notable players was still ignored to accommodate the stuttering stars in the Indian team. © BCCL With Kohli at the helm, that seems to have changed. But, unfortunately for a budding star, it's the same old story on a different day. Whether you follow India's domestic cricket scene or not and irrespective of your thoughts on the Ranji Trophy, the name Mayank Agarwal would have been pretty hard for anyone to miss lately. The right-handed batsman has been busy breaking records in the domestic circuit. Be it the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy, Agarwal has not only been consistent, but ruthlessly brilliant. Amassing 2,141 runs in a single season, the 27-year-old has undoubtedly been a force to be reckoned with in the domestic circuit. The opening batsman had a dismal start to the domestic season after scoring just 31 runs in the first three innings in the Ranji Trophy. But the encounter against Maharashtra, that Karnataka won by an innings, changed the complexion of the season for Mayank and he's not looked back since. © BCCL A breath-taking 304* was followed by 176, 23, 90, 133*, 173, 134, 78 in eight innings. While Karnataka eventually lost the semi-final to Vidarbha, Agarwal surely proved his worth with the willow after ending the season as the leading run-getter with 1,160 runs to his name. Looking to carry on his prolific run, Agarwal stuttered in the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy - a domestic T20 league, but still managed to score 258 runs at a strike-rate of 144.94 including three fifties. While many would have thought Agarwal's fine run was probably coming to an end, the Karnataka opener probably saved the best for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Plying his trade in the 50-over format, Agarwal smashed a staggering 723 runs including three hundreds in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. While the final between Karnataka and Saurashtra is still on, Agarwal has ended the season with scores of 109, 84, 28, 102, 89, 140, 81 and 90. © BCCL To sum it up, being the leading run-scorer in both the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, there is little doubt that Agarwal has been the best batsman in the domestic circuit this season. If Agarwal's scoring rate kept the cricket pundits busy, his conversion rate further reflected how good he has been in tackling opposition bowlers. Team selection isn't only about justice....it's more about balance. Picking players for the slot they're best suited for. Feel for Mayank Agarwal. #NidahasTrophy — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 25, 2018 For someone in such brilliant form, you'd expect Agarwal to make the Team India squad, if not find a place in the playing XI. But, no, not this poor guy. Despite the likes of Kohli and MS Dhoni being rested for the T20I tri-series in Sri Lanka, the Indian selection committee - whose solemn purpose is to ensure the best of the crop represent the national colours - neglected Agarwal. Despite the runs galore, impressive average and Kohli-esque conversion rate, poor Agarwal has somehow failed to impress the Indian selectors who mercilessly cut a sorry figure for arguably the best-performing batsman in the domestic scene. And Mayank Agarwal is overlooked again, shows how flawed BCCI & their nonsense selection committee is. https://t.co/kDLNXEQgiO — Nithesh Sagar (@nithesh_sagar) February 25, 2018 While everyone has been trying to ascertain the potential reasons behind their decision, the only question, not just for Agarwal, but for every budding talent in India is what more must they all do to find a place in the national team because, clearly, a record-breaking domestic season is not going to cut it!