IPL 2023: Shikhar Dhawan named Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain for IPL 2023, replacing Mayank Agarwal.
Veteran Indian batter, Shikhar Dhawan has been officially appointed Punjab Kings (PBKS) new captain for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He will replace Mayank Agarwal as the captain of the franchise. The development was stamped during the franchise board meeting.
Notably, PBKS had retained Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Shikhar Dhawan joined the franchise as he became the first player PBKS bought in the IPL 2022 mega auctions. The franchise shelled out INR 8.25 Crores to get the services of the southpaw, earlier this year.
The left-handed batter has been one of the most consistent batters in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has been scoring runs consistently since the 2016 IPL. In the most recent edition of the Indian Premier League, Dhawan managed to score 460 runs from 14 matches at a strike rate of 122.66 and at an average of 38.33.
It’s important to note that Mayank Agarwal didn’t have a great time leading the franchise. His batting form dipped in the IPL 2022 where he could only score 196 runs from 13 matches. Moreover, his side failed to go past the league stage in the season.
Following a disappointing season, several pundits expressed their concerns and suggested that the right-handed batter must be relieved of the captaincy and should freely play as a batter. Agarwal’s batting stats in the IPL give a clear verdict that he can be a very dangerous batter when he plays with freedom.
During the IPL 2021, Mayank Agarwal amassed 441 runs in 12 innings and was amongst the top ten batters of the tournament. In the IPL 2020, he again scored in excess of 400 runs in just 11 outings at an impressive average of 38.54. In both seasons, Agarwal didn’t have any captaincy pressure and was batting like superbly.
Meanwhile, it now remains to be seen whether Punjab Kings (PBKS) will retain Mayank Agarwal in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Skipper Shikhar Dhawan and young pacer Arshdeep Singh will be their top two choices for retention.
