GT vs PBKS: That Is A Big Decision To Take For A Captain – Ajay Jadeja On Mayank Agarwal Giving Opening Spot To Jonny Bairstow

Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja has said that the decision of Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal to demote himself in the batting order to promote Jonny Bairstow to open the innings with Shikhar Dhawan is a “big decision” to take for a skipper.

In the 48th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 Gujarat Titans went head-to-head with Punjab Kings at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai and the Punjab Kings won the match comfortably by 8 wickets.

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Jonny Bairstow was given the opportunity to open the innings alongside Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Liam Livingstone came to bat at No.3 and No.4 respectively.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Jadeja said that the decision of Punjab Kings’ Captian to demote himself came as a surprise to him. He said:

“I was not expecting Mayank to demote himself down the order. That is a big decision to take for a captain. If you see what is best for him, it is the opening slot but if you look at the team resources, this batting lineup, has people just coming in one after the other.”

Mayank Agarwal can be used in a versatile manner – Pragyan Ojha

Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha has said that the PBKS captain Mayank will be well suited for the No.3 spot. He said:

“Mayank Agarwal can be used in a versatile manner. I think he will come at No. 3 and the template will remain the same, but the roles will change just slightly. If Punjab keeps winning, then it will seem that there are no teams better than them.”

He added that Mayank’s decision to not bat in the match against Gujarat Titans was a good decision taken by the skipper. Ojha reasoned:

“I believe that in the shortest format, if you open with Bairstow, he will give you starts and it fits well with the brand of cricket that Punjab are playing. So, it was a good move. Mayank knew that he was not getting the runs, so he gave himself a break, it was a mature thing to do. If you keep playing, you get stuck mentally after a point of time. I think he should come in at No.3 and Bairstow should get more chances at the top. If he plays well there, Punjab will not turn back.”

Also Read: IPL 2022: Updated Points Table, Orange Cap and Purple Cap After Match 48 GT vs PBKS

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