Punjab skipper Mayank Agarwal vows to make strong comeback after dismal campaign
Analyzing PBKS’ forgettable campaign, Mayank Agarwal has said that he will take lessons and turn them into motivation for a stronger comeback going forward. Despite having a solid team on paper, the Mohali-based franchise showcased inconsistent performances throughout the tournament and a 17-run loss to the northern rivals Delhi Capitals in the final week of the league stages eventually dashed all their playoffs qualification hopes.
Mayank was named the Punjab Kings captain ahead of IPL 2022. He was one of the retained players along with yorker specialist Arshdeep Singh for this season. However, a change in captaincy along with a revamp in the squad did not help their cause as they finished at the sixth position in the points table with seven wins and as many losses from 14 matches.
Tough times don’t last, tough people do: Mayank Agarwal
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Agarwal wrote, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do. And we are a resilient lot. Captaining Punjab Kings has been a journey of leading and learning. Will take the lessons and turn them into motivation for a stronger comeback.”
The Indian opener himself did not have any memorable performances with the bat as he could only manage 196 runs from 13 matches averaging 16.33 and a strike rate of 122.50 including a solitary half-century with his highest score being 52. Agarwal also tried switching his batting positions where he batted in the middle-order in a few games, but that did not help his cause either.
Punjab’s campaign officially ended when the Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated the table-toppers Gujarat Titans by eight wickets in their final league match. Apart from PBKS, the win also knocked out Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the last encounter of the IPL 2022 league stages between these two teams turned into an inconsequential clash.
Punjab Kings signed off their campaign with an impressive five-wicket win over the Orange Army at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 22.
