Punjab Kings on Monday have announced Mayank Agarwal as the captain for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mayank, who has been an integral part of Punjab Kings since 2018, was retained ahead of the IPL 2022 auctions. (More Cricket News)
Mayank thus replaced KL Rahul for the top position. Rahul, who captained the franchise till the last season, was released by the Punjab Kings and was appointed the captain of debutants Lucknow Super Giants. Mayank taking the leadership role was on expected lines after Rahul didn’t continue.
Mayank has served as Punjab Kings’ vice-captain and also briefly captained the team last season. “I have been at Punjab Kings since 2018 and I take a lot of pride in representing this fantastic unit. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the team,” Mayank said in a statement.
“I take over this responsibility with utmost sincerity, but at the same time, I believe my job would be made easier with the talent we have at the Punjab Kings squad this season. We have always taken to the field hoping to win the title and as a team we will once again work towards this goal of lifting our maiden IPL trophy,” he added.
Agarwal, who made his IPL debut in 2011, aggregated more than 400 runs in the last two seasons. He has also played 19 Tests scoring 1429 runs, including four hundreds, and five ODIs for India.
Speaking on the appointment, head coach Anil Kumble said, “We want to create a strong foundation for the future with Mayank at the helm. He is hardworking, enthusiastic, a team player with all the attributes required of a leader.”
“I look forward to working with him as captain and believe that he will lead this team to a successful campaign,” Kumble, former India captain, added. Punjab have made it to the IPL final only once in 2014 only to lose against Kolkata Knight Riders. Punjab Kings have been perennial underachievers in the league. They finished sixth out of eight teams in the last three editions.
The franchise went into the recent IPL mega auction with the maximum purse and picked up some quality players and are hoping to claim their maiden title in the cash-rich tournament this time.
The IPL 2022 will begin on March 26, with the final set to be played on May 29. The league phase will be played in Mumbai and Pune across four venues - the Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, and the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, in the outskirts of Pune. The league stage will have 70 matches.
