Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal are favourites to become next PBKS captain. | Photo – IPL |
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Punjab Kings are set to appoint a new captain ahead of the start of IPL 2022 after KL Rahul left the side to join Lucknow Super Giants.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) were one of the teams which headed into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction looking for potential captaincy candidates. Punjab Kings were left without a captain ahead of the new season after KL Rahul decided to part ways with the franchise and join the Lucknow Super Giants. PBKS wanted to retain Rahul but the Indian batter wanted to leave the franchise after failing to guide the team to play-offs for two successive seasons as captain.
Punjab Kings bought some experienced players in the IPL 2022 mega auction as they roped in the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada and Jonny Bairstow among others, They also made England batter Liam Livingstone the costliest overseas buy at the auction this year.
Punjab Kings now have several options to choose from when it comes to deciding their next captain. However, Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal, who was retained by the team, are among favourites to take over as the new captain of the side in IPL 2022. While Dhawan has IPL captaincy experience having led Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past, Agarwal has never been a full-time skipper in the league.
However, Punjab Kings co-owner Mohit Burman recently dropped a major hint regarding the next captain of the franchise. Burman hinted at Agarwal being handed over captaincy as he said it is good to have someone who has been with the team to lead the side in the future as the senior player has a better understanding with the coaches.
“I think it’s a big advantage to have a senior player who has played with you before to lead the team. He understands the thinking of the coach. He has a good rapport with the coaches and the idea is to give him a strong bunch of players who fill up all the positions,” Burman told News9 Sports.
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Agarwal had joined Punjab Kings in 2018 and has since been an integral part of the setup. He was the only capped player retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction and looks set to become the new captain of the team. Agarwal has so far played 100 matches in his IPL career and has 2131 runs to his name at an average of over 23.
