Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri wanted Mayank Agarwal as replacement for Vijay Shankar

Mumbai: Mayank Agarwal has been called up to the India squad at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as a result of an injury suffered by all-rounder Vijay Shankar.

The decision of BCCI has raised a few eyebrows, questioning why the 28-year-old was preferred over Ambati Rayudu and Ajinkya Rahane.

Ambati Rayudu's exclusion by selectors panel led by MSK Prasad, considering he was kept as the batting reserve has surely raised many questions as to what made the national selectors change their decision.

Agarwal’s India A form has been quite remarkable, with the Karnataka man finishing with 287 runs from just four games, averaging 71.75 with a strike rate of 105.90.

Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that the call to pick Mayank and not Rayudu was in fact made by the team management and not the five-member selection panel.

"The team management had made it clear that they wanted Mayank as a replacement for the injured Shankar. There was no question of the selectors debating that," the source said.

The source also added that Mayank's performance in the tri-series against England and West Indies 'A' teams in 2018 was one of the key reasons behind his inclusion in the World Cup squad.

"If you see the record he had during the one-day series against the 'A' teams, you will see that he scored 287 runs in four innings with two hundreds. Not to forget his 151 against Leicestershire in the warm-up game. That series was also played in June and July and the general thought is that he is versatile and can adapt well," the source added.