IPL 2022: Punjab Kings Captain Mayank Agarwal Reveals Strategy That Helped Counter Mumbai Young Gun

As Punjab Kings stepped out to bat in the Indian Premier League 2022 match against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, all eyes were on skipper Mayank Agarwal. With scores of 1, 4, and 5, in the previous three games, the PBKS opener knew he had to step up with the bat against the five-time IPL Champions to set up the platform for his team. The right-handed batsman showed his intent straightaway in the match, hitting Mumbai Indians pacer Basil Thampi for a boundary past point on the first ball of the match. It was just the beginning.

Mayank went on to maintain a strike rate of over 100 throughout his innings, and then took the charge in the 97-run opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan. The right-handed batsman smashed 52 runs in 32 balls at a mammoth strike rate of 162.50 to help Punjab Kings take control in the match. His brilliant batting performance helped PBKS in posting a solid total of 198/5 in 20 overs, setting up a tricky target for the Mumbai Indians to chase at their home ground.

The target proved to be too high for MI to chase and they could only muster 186/9 in reply, losing the match by 12 runs. PBKS picked up their third win of the season, getting two points in the process and solidifying their position at the third spot in the IPL 2022 Points Table.

"I am very happy to have contributed to the team's win," Mayank, who was named the Player of the Match for his performance, said.

"We knew we needed to get off to a good start and then consolidate. I made sure that we keep the scoring rate high and tried to keep putting pressure on the opposition bowlers. I was happy that we were able to do that and put up a big score. Also, credit to our bowlers who bowled beautifully to defend the total and set up a big win for us