IPL 2022: Mayank Agarwal Is All Set To Be The New Captain Of Punjab Kings

Mayank Agarwal is one of the two players retained by Punjab Kings

Mayank Agarwal is likely to be the new captain of Punjab Kings in the upcoming IPL. Agarwal is one the two players that was retained by Punjab Kings alongside Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh ahead of the mega auction earlier this month.

A formal announcement of Mayank being the new captain of Punjab Kings is expected soon.

"In all likelihood, Mayank will captain the side. The announcement is expected later this week," an IPL source told PTI.

Punjab, who went into the auction with the maximum purse, made good use of the money by getting the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Kagiso Rabada and buying back left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar and explosive Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan.

Even after having senior players like Dhawan, Bairstow, Punjab management is keen to have Mayank Agarwal as the captain of Punjab.

"Dhawan is a welcome addition to the side and was always on the radar at the auction. He is a champion player but it seems Punjab were keen on Mayank as captain ever since K L Rahul left the team," the source added.

Agarwal and Rahul formed one of the most prolific opening pairs in the IPL over the past couple of years. Rahul will lead Lucknow Super Giants this season.

Agarwal had captained the team briefly last year when Rahul was injured. Agarwal aggregated 400-plus runs in the past two seasons. He made his IPL debut in 2011 and has so far played 100 games.

The 31-year-old opener has also played 19 Tests and five ODIs for India.

With a strong squad at their disposal, Punjab Kings are aiming to end their title drought in the IPL. Their only final appearance came way back in 2014. They finished sixth out of eight teams in the last three editions.