IPL 2023: 3 teams that can target Mayank Agarwal in the mini-auction
Mayank Agarwal has good numbers in IPL, barring last season where he played under pressure.
In a major move, Punjab Kings released their skipper from last season, Mayank Agarwal, ahead of the Indian Premier League 2023. They have appointed veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan as the skipper of the franchise for the upcoming edition.
Mayank Agarwal had a highly-disappointing season with the bat last season and given that he was retained for a massive amount of INR 14 crore, it was no surprise that the Mohali-based franchise let the Karnataka-batter go ahead of the IPL 2023.
Mayank Agarwal is an experienced batter and can tear any bowling attack apart inside the powerplay. An Indian opener of Mayank’s quality is worth gold in the auctions. Moreover, it will be difficult to find such a player among the limited options available in the mini-auctions.
Hence, the right-handed opener will not be short of franchises looking to sign him in the mini-auctions ahead of next season. Mayank Agarwal is likely to fetch big bids during the auction, hence, a few franchises like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals are unlikely to sign him given the limited purse available.
In this post, we will take a look at the top 3 teams that can target Mayank Agarwal in the mini-auction.
3. Punjab Kings
Mayank Agarwal was arguably the Punjab Kings’ best batter ahead of KL Rahul during the IPL 2021. It prompted them to promote him as skipper once KL Rahul left the franchise for the Lucknow Super Giants.
However, captaincy duties affected Mayank’s game adversely and he lost his form with the bat. Shikhar Dhawan has now been appointed as the skipper and Mayank Agarwal could fully focus on his batting if the Punjab Kings look to bring the opener back.
Moreover, Punjab Kings had to let go of Mayank due to his price tag. But in the auction, they could sign the batter at a discounted price. Bringing an Indian player to the top will bring more balance to the playing XI by allowing Punjab Kings to play two overseas pacers.
