Aakash Chopra believes the Punjab Kings (PBKS) should finalize Mayank Agarwal as skipper and not look for another leader in the IPL 2022 auction.
KL Rahul, who captained the Punjab Kings in IPL 2021, opted out of the franchise and joined the Lucknow Super Giants instead. The Punjab-based franchise has shortlisted just two players – Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh – for the auction.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra advised the Punjab Kings to appoint Agarwal as skipper. He said:
“Punjab have kept Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh. This is where the answer may well be hidden as they let Rahul and everyone else go, only two players stayed with this team so Mayank could be an option. Do de Mayank the captain, don’t look for another captain.”
However, the former Indian cricketer admitted that the 2014 IPL finalists had the biggest remaining purse and could acquire whoever they wanted. Chopra observed:
“I think they have a captain. They don’t need to shop for a captain. They have the most money in their kitty to spend because they were able to retain the fewest players, which means a lot money to spend and they pass it on.”
The Punjab Kings still have ₹72 crore in their prize pool. The franchise took ₹14 crore out of their purse for keeping Agarwal, even though they will pay the player a few crores less.
“Make a plan to move forward with Mayank Agarwal for the next two to three years” – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra reiterated that the Kings of Punjab should not look beyond Agarwal. He reasoned:
“Finalize Mayank Agarwal in my opinion. Make the plan to move forward with Mayank for the next two to three years. Mayank is a gun player. He plays T20 cricket very well. If you see the last three years, he will shoulder shoulder with Rahul.”
The famous commentator concluded by highlighting Agarwal’s selfless nature on the cricket pitch. Chopra clarified:
“Actually, if you do man-to-man marking, KL Rahul has more runs but Mayank had a bigger impact. Mayank is the aggressor and he’s also a good thinking brain, and he puts the team before himself. Mayank is a no-brainer in my opinion.”
Mayank Agarwal was the premium retention of the Punjab Kings at INR 12 cr. Over the past two IPL editions, Mayank has made over 400 runs each year at strike rates of 156.5 and 140.5 respectively. Should he be the team captain?#PBKS #IPL2022 https://t.co/l9kpj20EGZ
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Agarwal broke 1317 points on an excellent hitting 144.24 in the 47 games he played for the Punjab Kings. He also managed the franchise for one game in IPL 2021 when Rahul was unavailable due to acute appendicitis.
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