3 IPL teams that'll benefit by taking Mayank Agarwal onboard

With Shikhar Dhawan now appointed captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS), Mayank Agarwal, who led them to a sixth-place finish last season, is likely to be released by the franchise. Whether Dhawan, 36, replacing Mayank, 31, is the right move is a debate for another day, but the situation is that the latter is up for grabs.

A highly-successful domestic cricketer who hasn't been able to bring his consistency to the international level, Mayank's IPL career has been somewhere in between the two. He has scored 2327 runs at a strike rate of 134 in 113 matches, but his average and overall impact on the tournament has been middling at best.

The right-handed batter made crucial strides between 2019-21. His aggregates increased and the opener slowly established himself as a technically-sound enforcer in the powerplay who can play in both aggressive and anchoring gears.

The pressure of captaining perhaps the most balanced side in IPL 2022 looked to be bogging him down earlier in the year, and his emotions were all over the place while fielding. Shifting his batting position didn't help as he endured one of his worst IPL seasons.

Now, that's where perhaps his biggest strength lies - a hunger to show that he still has it and prove that he deserves to represent India again. Any team that'll sign him will get an experienced opener who struggles a bit against pace but is brilliant against spin and can give consistent starts for at least the next three to four years.

On that note, here are three IPL teams that might benefit from roping him in.

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#1 Kolkata Knight Riders

If there's a team that needs a dependable right-handed opener, it's the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Their strategy of using their four overseas spots for all-rounders and bowlers with an Indian batting core didn't work because the latter didn't fire. They kept chopping and changing the openers but it made them inconsistent at best.

Knight Riders' last match of the season against the Lucknow Super Giants was perhaps their best of the season despite KKR ending on the losing side.

Adding Mayank to that lineup in place of Abhishek Tomar with left-hander Venkatesh Iyer as the partner immediately increases the skill level of the side.

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#2 Gujarat Titans

Having formed a team from scratch with an inexperienced captain at the helm to enjoying a near-perfect run in their maiden IPL season, Gujarat Titans (GT) will be the last side looking to make any major changes for 2023. But that doesn't mean they should ignore it when a good opportunity comes knocking.

Their opener, Wriddhiman Saha, is 38, and thanks to him being out of favor for India and Bengal, wouldn't have played much cricket before the 2023 season.

They have Matthew Wade ready to take the gloves in Saha's absence and Mayank can seamlessly fit in at the top of the order with Shubman Gill.

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#3 Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also have a need for an Indian batter, though their need is direr given they finished bottom of the table in IPL 2022. Robin Uthappa has retired and they not only need someone who can replace him but be better.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway will definitely take the opening spots but Mayank can slot in at No. 3, with Moeen Ali coming in at 4. Last season they needed someone to score regularly from that position as well. Mayank will get consistent chances under MS Dhoni and the Chepauk ground will also support his game.

Moreover, with Dhoni only closing in on retirement and Ravindra Jadeja no longer a captaincy option, Mayank will also provide a captaincy backup if needed.

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