"This auction I'm going to just sit back and say 'oh yes'" - Mayank Agarwal ahead of IPL 2022 Auction

Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Mayank Agarwal is looking forward to having a good time watching the IPL 2022 Auction, which will take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. The opener said on Thursday that he'll sit back and relax during the auction while focussing on the strategic aspects from his franchise's point of view.

Mayank was among the only two retentions for PBKS, as he bagged a three-year contract for ₹12 crore. 590 cricketers will go under the hammer this year and the right-hander's among the few who won't have to feel the anxiety of the bidding process. He, however, will closely watch how his team's planning unfolds on the auction table.

Speaking to Boria Majumdar on his show "Auction Reels", he said:

"Well, honestly, I think this auction I am going to just sit back and say, 'oh yes'. I am going to be a lot more relaxed than probably a few other people but, you know, I am really excited for the auction - for the kind of players that we'll be able to buy and the strategies, the thought processes that we've had as Punjab Kings before the auction [and] ... say we've decided the kind of cricket we want to play [I'll see] have we actually been able to get the kind of players that we, as a team, have been looking for."

The 30-year-old added:

"So it is exciting on that front but I can definitely say that, on a personal front, it's going to be a lot calmer compared to any of the auctions before."

One of the few silver linings for the struggling team, the right-hander was among the top run-scorers last season, amassing 441 runs from 12 innings at an average of 40. Following the departures of KL Rahul and Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank is a key player for the franchise and might even be promoted to captaincy this year.

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Mayank Agarwal added to India's ODI squad

Meanwhile, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in India's camp for the upcoming white-ball series against West Indies, Mayank was added to the team as an emergency cover.

In the absence of Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, the PBKS star might open alongside Rohit Sharma in the first ODI on February 6.