"Punjab can only win if either Mayank Agarwal's batting doesn't come or if he scores a fifty" - Aakash Chopra ahead of RCB vs PBKS in IPL 2022
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes Mayank Agarwal's inconsistency with the bat is one of the biggest worries for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) this season.
In 10 games, Agarwal has scored just 176 runs at a poor average of 19.56. In the last couple of games, the PBKS captain selflessly demoted himself down the order to give Jonny Bairstow his preferred opening position.
However, speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stated that Punjab need to get more out of their batting. He feels they can't be dependent on their bowling if they have to beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their next game and opined:
"Punjab can only win this game with their batting. Let's be honest, their bowling is slightly weak. It won't be a bad idea to win the toss and bat first. Punjab can only win if either Mayank Agarwal's batting doesn't come or if it does and he scores a fifty. Otherwise, RCB are favourites to win the game."
Aakash Chopra also explained how Agarwal's struggles in the middle order are hurting Punjab's chances. He added:
"Punjab had come out with an explosive all-or-nothing strategy. They started opening with Bairstow, which is a good move with Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa to follow. But their problem has been that Mayank Agarwal hasn't been among the runs."
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Aakash Chopra on why Liam Livingstone has to face more deliveries for PBKS
Aakash Chopra was baffled when the hard-hitting Liam Livingstone was sent to bat at No. 6 in their last game against the Rajasthan Royals. The Englishman couldn't make a huge impact with a few deliveries left and the move ended up costing PBKS some crucial runs as they lost a close game.
The 44-year-old hopes that Punjab doesn't repeat the same mistake as he feels Livingstone and if needed, even Jitesh Sharma can score quicker than Agarwal. He stated:
"If 10 overs are remaining, you need to send Livingstone ahead of you at No. 4 and even send Jitesh Sharma ahead of you if needed. In the last game you did the mistake of not sending Livingstone up the order and those lack of runs cost you the game. If you don't use your resources well, it creates problems."
PBKS have the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh and Rahul Chahar in their bowling department. But their batting will be key if they want to beat RCB and keep themselves alive in the race to the playoffs.