The Cricket Advisory Committee on Friday extended Ravi Shastri’s tenure as the coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, awarding him a two-year contract that runs till World T20 2021.

CAC member Anshuman Gaekwad said: “Being a current coach, knowing the boys and problems in the team, he is well-versed in the system. Somebody knows the system and knows the players very well, he has the advantage.”

The CAC, led by former captain Kapil Dev, began the process to choose India’s next men’s coach on Friday with former all-rounder Robin Singh appearing first for the interview.

Kapil Dev said: “We already decided. The system was very simple. After the meeting of four-five-six hours, all three of us had our own marking. Neither of us consulted each other. We all unanimously decided after doing all the accounts and numbers.

“We decided on a points system, out of hundred how much should be awarded to each candidate. It was a very close race I must tell you. There coaching skills, experience and knowledge of the game were some of the parameters. We didn’t consult Virat Kohli, else we would have asked the entire team. We did not ask anyone.”

Six names – incumbent Ravi Shastri, Singh, Lalchand Rajput, Mike Hesson, Tom Moody, Phil Simmons – had been shortlisted for the high-profile position. Shastri, who got a 45-day extension after the end of his tenure following the World Cup in England, was also publicly backed by captain Kohli.