Picked earlier than the 2018 version of the Indian Premier League, Mayank Agarwal has within the final couple of years change into the nucleus round which the Punjab Kings — previously often called Kings XI Punjab — batting revolves. The 2020 version in UAE noticed Mayank at his finest as he completed the season with 424 runs from 11 matches, together with a century in opposition to Rajasthan Royals in Sharjah. Having shaped an excellent partnership with skipper KL Rahul on the prime of the innings, the opener is trying to repeat the identical within the 2021 version which kickstarts on April 9.
In an interplay with ANI, Mayank opened up about his bond with Punjab Kings, his relationship with skipper KL Rahul and the way he sees the brand new additions within the staff for this 12 months’s IPL. The batter additionally spoke about Chris Gayle and the way difficult it’s to maintain oneself recent in a bio-bubble.
“Playing for Punjab Kings is really nice. They have a very good environment and they make you feel at home whenever you come and play for them. Each player is assigned a certain role, we try to stick to that. And then, depends on the day who is batting well, whoever is striking the ball well, decides to take the team through to a good score or to chase down a target,” mentioned Mayank.
“But I would not say that the team revolves around one or two batters. I think it’s a collective effort and we try to look at it this way. Well, KL Rahul is terrific and it is amazing to be playing with him. This is the fourth year that we would be playing for Punjab and it is really nice. We understand each other’s game, we gel really well. That communication on the field becomes a lot easier because of the friendship we have,” he added.
Mayank and Chris Gayle first shared the dressing room for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and now the duo is teammates at Punjab Kings. Mayank mentioned how Gayle is a vital cog on this Punjab franchise and the way the connection with the Universe Boss has developed through the years.
“Well, I think whichever team Chris Gayle plays for, he adds a lot of value, and the same goes for us. He is an important player for every team he plays for. That’s one part of it, Chris is a very nice guy and he has a lot of fun. We have been playing with each other since RCB 2011, we know each other well, the relationship is very strong and funny with him. He is a person who loves to have a laugh, we make sure we train hard and during off-times, we make sure to have fun,” mentioned the 30-year-old.
“The most important thing for us will be to do well collectively, not just as a batting unit or a bowling unit. If we can bat and bowl well consistently together, I think that’s when you win more games,” he added.
During the final version of IPL, Punjab was down and out at one stage, however the KL Rahul-led facet made a outstanding comeback to spring collectively a cluster of wins and the facet solely missed out on the playoffs narrowly after dropping their ultimate group-stage encounter.
“This team has whatever it takes to turn things around, but with that said, keeping the momentum and playing good cricket would be very important. We have seen that over a few years, our strength lies once we win a few games, we make it a cluster of a lot of wins together. It is fantastic to play under Anil Kumble (Director of Cricket Operations) and Wasim Jaffer (batting coach) with the wealth of knowledge they have.
“Anybody who wants any sort of assist when it comes to attempting to know the scenario higher or one thing concerning their private video games, they’re all the time there to assist. They are all the time there to information you, similar with others as effectively. Having Jonty Rhodes (fielding coach), Andy Flower (assistant coach) is wonderful as effectively,” he added.
Talking about the new additions like Dawid Malan, Moises Henqirues, Riley Meredith, and Jhye Richardson to the squad this year, Mayank said: “Really excited to play with them. I’ve performed with Moises earlier than, he’s a beautiful man. With Jhye Richardson and Meredith coming in, we’re going to have much more tempo with us. Dawid Malan is the primary T20 batsman on the earth, actually excited to play alongside them.”
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Mayank entered a bio-bubble in late August last year for IPL 2020. After that, he toured Australia, and then he came back home for series against England. Talking about the challenges of living in bubbles, Mayank said: “I feel making a routine is the most important problem within the bubble, you shouldn’t have a lot house to do no matter you need to do. I feel should you can create a routine for your self and that’s what I’ve accomplished over the previous few months, it has actually helped me. You have lots of time to your self, you are able to do no matter you want. I like studying and taking part in a number of video games. I do {that a} bit.”
The league will start behind closed doors as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus. Commenting on the absence of fans, Mayank said: “Definitely, taking part in in a full stadium is an incredible feeling and it’s terrific with all of the noise and power. It brings the very best out of you, however with that being mentioned, with the present scenario, it is best if we play behind closed doorways.”
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