IPL 2022: 3 reasons why Mayank Agarwal is the perfect choice to lead Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have appointed Mayank Agarwal as the skipper of the side ahead of IPL 2022. The Karnataka batter was one of the players retained prior to the IPL 2022 auction along with seamer Arshdeep Singh.
Agarwal's captaincy hasn't come as a surprise, although the acquisition of Shikhar Dhawan led to doubts if the veteran southpaw will take the reins. It wasn't meant to be as the side eventually went with the player tipped to don the captain's hat.
Agarwal was picked up by the franchise for ₹1 crore at the 2018 IPL auction and had a forgettable season. However, he evolved into their most prolific scorer in later seasons.
With a new captain at the helm for Punjab, we look at three reasons why he is the apt choice to lead the side gunning for their maiden title.
#1 Mayank Agarwal's one of the future for PBKS
At 31, Mayank Agarwal has enough cricket left in him to be the skipper of the side for the foreseeable future. To add to this is the perfectly balanced squad the Kings acquired at auction earlier this month.
With a relatively young side, Agarwal will be on the same page as Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson, who handed the captaincy to the Kerala batter last season. As a long-term prospect, it makes perfect sense for Agarwal to lead the side.
#2 The runs to back it up and adaptability to formats
Like Rahul, Agarwal has proved he can lead with the bat. His total of 442 runs from 12 games in the IPL in 2021 proved that he can lead the side from the front.
Agarwal will look to continue the good run that he's struck in the Tests. It will help the Punjab management that he is a solid test batter and is adaptable to any format.
#3 Mayank Agarwal is a quick learner
The fact that he turned around his dismal 2018 season shows that Agarwal has put in the hard yards and is a quick learner. He was quick to learn from the defeat against the Delhi Capitals when he captained PBKS in the absence of KL Rahul.
The captaincy will definitely help him with his team India stint as well. Despite his decent IPL run, Agarwal has struggled to break into the ODI and T20I squads. The promotion will motivate the player to do better and represent India in the 50-over format as well.