'Your character stood out for me': Virat Kohli lauds Test opener Mayank Agarwal

'Your character stood out for me than the number of runs you scored," said India skipper Virat Kohli while explaining his decision to give opener Mayank Agarwal a Test debut in the 2018-19 Australia series. Agarwal had made his Test debut during the 'Boxing Day' Test match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground where he had scored 76. India beat the Aussies comprehensively in that contest. Kohli & Co. eventually won that series 2-1 to register their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil.

'That is something always stood out with you': Virat Kohli

"I had seen you play for RCB, even then you played international bowlers with conviction and you would take them on. You were performing in first-class matches in a dominating way. That is something always stood out with you, I would say your character stood out for me than the number of runs. I knew you would be fearless without having any baggage," Kohli told Mayank Agarwal in a video posted on the official website of BCCI.

"For me, the biggest marker is how a person approaches the game, so for example when you opened and we made Vihari open with you. The first opportunity we presented Vihari to open the batting, he said yes to it and that matters me to the most," Kohli said.

"I opened in my first series for India, I said yes to this opportunity and things worked out fine for me. So, a guy who wants to get into tough situations will come out either holding his head high or learning from his mistakes," he added.

Ever since that series, Mayank has cemented his place as a regular opener for India in the longest format. He has amassed managed to score 974 runs from 11 matches at an average of 57.29 with three centuries.

Mayank Agarwal & Virat Kohli in IPL 2020

The stylish batsman was retained by the 2014 finalists Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2020 that was originally scheduled to get underway on March 29 but had to be suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing global pandemic.

The 13th edition of the cash-rich event will be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 8. The complete fixtures of the tournament will be announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) this week.

Kohli on the other hand will be leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB will be hoping to win their maiden IPL crown after faltering at the final hurdle in the 2009, 2011, and, 2016 editions respectively.

(Image Courtesy: AP)

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(With ANI Inputs)