IPL 2023: “One Bad Season For Mayank Agarwal Doesn't Make Him An Inferior Batter”- Aakash Chopra Says PBKS Should Retain Him

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has backed Mayank Agarwal and said that he wants the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise to retain the Karnataka batter for the IPL 2023 saying that one poor season as captain and batter doesn’t make him any less inferior.

Agarwal was recently replaced by Shikhar Dhawan as the PBKS captain for the next season of the IPL. The former skipper, who was retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 auction for ₹14 crores, had a dismal run in the tournament.

The right-handed opener managed just 196 runs at a dismal average of 16.33 and a below-par strike rate of 122.50 in this year’s IPL. The PBKS franchise also had a poor outing in the tournament and couldn’t make it into the playoffs. He has not been in great form in domestic cricket as well, having struggled for Karnataka at the top of the order in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Retain Him One Hundred Percent: Aakash Chopra On Mayank Agarwal’s Future In PBKS

Captaincy pressure added to Mayank Agarwal’s batting woes as IPL 2022 was Mayank’s worst-ever season since being given the opening job by PBKS on a full-time basis. In 2020, Mayank smashed 424 runs in 11 matches to earn his maiden T20I call-up. In 2021, he again breached the 400-run mark and finished with 441 runs.

Mayank was one of the two players retained by PBKS before the IPL 2022 mega auction along with Arshdeep Singh, but it seems after replacing him as captain of the side with Shikhar Dhawan for the IPL 2023, the franchise PBKS is also looking to release him, freeing up more than 10 crores in their purse for IPL 2023 auction.

However, while discussing the same on the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, Chopra felt that PBKS should retain Agarwal.

He said: “Retain him one hundred percent. One swallow doesn’t make the summer is what everyone says, and one bad season for Mayank Agarwal doesn’t make him an inferior batter. At the top, with no burden of captaincy, he is your runaway match-winner.

Honestly, if they want to trade him right now, there will be a beeline of franchises asking if they can get him because he is that good. So Mayank Agarwal, in my opinion, is worth every penny of that 14 crores.”

November 15 is the deadline for all the franchises to submit their lists of players retained and released to the IPL and BCCI.

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