Punjab Kings have officially named Mayank Agarwal as the skipper of the side for the IPL 2022. The Punjab-based franchise made the announcement in a social media post.
“I am honoured and happy to be leading Punjab Kings in the IPL 2022. Let’s do it this time,” Mayank said.
PBKS head coach Anil Kumble said that the batter has been an integral part of the setup. “Mayank has been an integral part of the side since 2018 and of the leadership group for the last two years. The new squad we selected at the recently concluded auction has exciting young talent and outstanding experienced players,” he said.
"We want to create a strong foundation for the future with Mayank at the helm. He is hardworking, enthusiastic, a team player with all the attributes required of a leader. I look forward to working with him as captain and believe that he will lead this team to a successful campaign."
It was earlier reported that the franchise was keen on handing the captaincy to the right-handed batter after KL Rahul had left the side.
"In all likelihood, Mayank will captain the side. The announcement is expected later this week," an IPL source said as quoted to PTI earlier.
"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 KL Rahul left the team," he added.
Mayank was earlier retained by the side while Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada and Jonny Bairstow were some of the notable additions to the squad. The aggressive batter Shahrukh Khan also returned to the team after he was bought in the mega auction.