Mayank Agarwal worked on his batting. The intensity was ferocious, although he did pause when players like Umran Malik stopped by to greet him. Nor did he miss congratulating them on their call-up for the upcoming red-ball series against New Zealand ‘A’. But deep down he was hurting. It’s been a tough year for the 31-year-old. He hasn’t played for the country since the day-night Test against Sri Lanka in March and as skipper of Punjab Kings, he turned in a sub-par 196 runs in 12 innings in the Indian Premier League. Mayank’s international career is at a crossroads, but rather than brood over what could have been, the talented batsman is determined to make a strong comeback. He has chosen to channel his energy towards working on his flaws. The goal is to be back in India colours. The Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament offered him just the platform that he needed – the confidence-building kind. Captain of the Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters, Mayank is currently the leading runs scorer with 480 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 167.24. This includes two centuries and a half-century. What’s more, he has been a revelation as captain. “I’m very happy with my performance and the way I’m batting,” he said. “I’ve been able to contribute to the team’s success.”
