After a poor start to Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal stepped up with the bat against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Wednesday (April 13). The right-handed batter showed his intent straightaway, hitting pacer Basil Thampi for a boundary past point on the first ball itself.
The win over MI was a testament to Mayank's captaincy skills while defending their above-average total of 199. He rotated his bowlers and set up the field smartly to ensure PBKS kept getting wickets at crucial intervals. At one stage, Dewald Brevis and Tilak Varma seemed to gain control of the match. Mayank then gave the ball to pacer Odean Smith, who managed to dismiss the in-form Brevis and brought their side back into the contest.
Speaking on his leadership abilities, Mayank said, "I could feel that the two young players Brevis and Tilak were looking to hit big shots. We felt (Odean) Smith could counter their intentions with slow, short balls, and that was the strategy that we went for."
Adding to this, Mayank said, "We knew we needed to bring in our main bowlers and get that wicket, and we did, and that set up the stage for us. Also, credit to Rahul Chahar for three economical overs after getting hit for runs in his first over."
After the close-fought victory, the PKBS captain was delighted to have led his team to the win. "I am very happy to have contributed to the team's win," Mayank, who was named the Player of the Match for his performance, said after the game.
Mayank smashed a 32-ball 52 at a strike rate of 162.50 to help PBKS take charge in the first innings. His swashbuckling performance helped PBKS post a solid total of 198/5 in 20 overs, which also included a 97-run opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan.
"We knew we needed to get off to a good start and then consolidate. I made sure that we keep the scoring rate high and tried to keep putting pressure on the opposition bowlers. I was happy that we were able to do that and put up a big score. Also, credit to our bowlers who bowled beautifully to defend the total and set up a big win for us against a very strong team," Mayank explained.
The target was too high for MI, who could only score 186/9 in reply, losing the match by 12 runs. After picking up their third win of the season, Punjab moved up the table to the third spot on the points table.