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Unsold but in red-hot form! Here’s why Mayank Agarwal would’ve been a perfect fit at PBKS at IPL 2025

Unsold but in red-hot form! Here’s why Mayank Agarwal would’ve been a perfect fit at PBKS at IPL 2025

Catch why Mayank Agarwal could've been a perfect opening option for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at IPL 2025.

Mayank Agarwal was opening the batting alongside Shubman Gill when India played their last Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Now, while the Men in Blue are amidst another riveting BGT battle, Mayank Agarwal is more than 10,000 kilometres away, grinding hard in domestic cricket. Much to his surprise, the veteran opener was left agonising when a certain mega auction decided that he wouldn’t be playing the next IPL 2025 season. But now, leaving his dejection behind, Mayank is terrorizing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making teams wonder if they made a wrong decision by letting go of him.

We are here talking about one particular IPL franchise, who even employed him as captain. Yes, we are talking about the Punjab Kings (PBKS), who could’ve done well by having Mayank Agarwal on their roster. They entered the IPL 2025 mega auction with an exorbitant purse of Rs 110.50 crore but didn’t put a single bid on Mayank, whose base price was set at just Rs 1 crore.

Why Mayank Agarwal for PBKS at IPL 2025?

For years, PBKS has had trouble establishing a reliable opening pair. For the most part, they relied on Shikhar Dhawan, although even he suffered from injuries before announcing his retirement. Prabhsimran Singh, who was one of their two uncapped retainers, is their sole reliable opener at the moment. Even though Prabhsimran is a gifted young player, it would have been far better if he had been accompanied by an accomplished campaigner like Mayank Agarwal. Prabhsimran could have played freely if Mayank had been there, knowing that the veteran was protecting the other end.

There aren’t many compelling alternatives for PBKS’ opening slot. Despite being a competent hitter, Josh Inglis has not yet been put to the test in the intense IPL environment. The Karnataka-born batter might have given the top tier much-needed steadiness and firepower with his extensive expertise and track record.

Stupendous form by Mayank Agarwal

The main purpose of writing this article has been Mayank Agarwal’s stupenduos form in recent matches. Just today, Mayank hammered a scintillating ton against Arunachal Pradesh, taking his Karnataka side to a massive 10-wicket win, that too, with 35.4 overs remaining. His belligerent hitting saw the 33-year-old smash his 16th List-A hundred in just a matter of 45 balls. Alongside him was Abhinav Manohar, who also smashed 66* off 41. Mayank, in particular, hammered 7 boundaries and as many sixes, striking at a wonderful rate of 222.22.

His stellar knock came on the back of one of his superb innings when the Karnataka skipper single-handedly won his side a crucial game against a star-studded Punjab outfit. He carried his bat through the chase of Punjab’s 247. one stage Punjab captain Abhishek Sharma’s four-fer had left Karnataka needing 45 more with the last wicket in hand but Mayank expertly led his side over the line with 2.3 overs to spare in a thrilling finish. He scored 139 (127) in that game.

Now, their is a huge familiarity at PBKS for Mayank. He has led the side 14 times and is the highest run scorer among Indians after KL Rahul. For PBKS, Mayank hit 1513 runs at a strike rate of 141.00, which is better than the likes of KL, David Miller, Shaun Marsh, and Shikhar Dhawan. In hindsight, letting him go unsold seems like a missed opportunity for PBKS. Mayank could’ve addressed multiple issues—from solving their opening conundrum to providing mentorship to younger players. At 33, Mayank is as fit as anyone too!

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