“If Punjab have to win, he will have to score” - Aakash Chopra urges PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal to lift his batting in IPL 2022

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reckons the Punjab Kings (PBKS) will find it difficult to win matches consistently in IPL 2022 if captain Mayank Agarwal does not rediscover his batting form soon.

The opening batter has managed only 136 runs in seven matches at an average of 19.43 and a strike rate of 125.93. His sole half-century came against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. Punjab will take on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the same venue on Friday.

Previewing the clash on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Agarwal needs to get back among the runs in the match against LSG. He stated:

“Mayank Agarwal hasn’t scored runs. If PBKS have to win, he will have to score. There is no doubt about that. There will be hopes of a good knock from him because his only score of note came at this venue.”

Chopra added that Shikhar Dhawan’s return to form augurs well for the franchise, while terming Bhanuka Rajapaksa a phenomenal batter in the T20 format. The cricketer-turned-analyst added:

“Shikhar Dhawan is in good form. Like David Warner and KL Rahul, he is consistent when he finds his groove. Bhanuka Rajapaksa is a phenomenal player. He plays very good T20 cricket. In the last match, he batted slowly because the surface at Wankhede was slow. This pitch is expected to be slightly quicker. After that, they have Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma.”

In Punjab’s previous match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhawan scored an unbeaten 88 off 59 balls to lift PBKS to a morale-boosting 11-run victory. Agarwal and Co. are currently seventh in the standings with eight points from as many games.

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“Think about leaving out Bairstow to bring Ellis in” - Aakash Chopra’s suggestion to PBKS

Analyzing Punjab’s team combination for Friday’s match, Chopra suggested that the franchise could ponder upon bringing in pace bowler Nathan Ellis in place of batter Jonny Bairstow.

According to the 44-year-old, PBKS might need more pace in their attack against LSG in Pune and explained:

“I think PBKS need to address one issue in this match. They need pace on this surface. Rishi Dhawan is a good option and bowls well, but he is a medium pacer. For this match, they can think about getting Nathan Ellis in. They can think about leaving out Jonny Bairstow to bring Ellis in for this game. Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Kagiso Rabada can stay as the other three overseas players in the team. I feel they should give it a thought."

Ellis, 27, has played only one match for Punjab this season. He bowled two overs against the Delhi Capitals (DC), returning with figures of 0 for 15.