In the 48th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by 8 wickets. With this, the victory campaign of Gujarat Titans put a brake. Gujarat Titans led by Hardik Pandya had won 5 consecutive matches before the match on 3 May 2022. At the same time, Punjab Kings 10, led by Mayank Agarwal, tasted their fifth victory in the match.
The special thing is that in the match against Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings changed their batting order. Jonny Bairstow came in for the opening in place of Mayank Agarwal. He started the innings of Punjab Kings with Shikhar Dhawan. Mayank did not get a chance to bat in this match, but he kept his order below Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Liam Livingstone.
Ajay Jadeja, a former player of the Indian cricket team, has appreciated his move. He said that Mayank demoted himself (putting down the batting order) keeping the interest of the team ahead. This is a selfless step. Jadeja also said that it was not expected that Mayank Agarwal would hit an ax on his own leg.
Ajay Jadeja Said, ‘My view is that the higher up Livingstone and Jonny Bairstow bat, the sharper their bat will get. However, I was not expecting that Mayank Agarwal would hit his leg with an ax lest I go. It is a big decision for any captain or any player because whatever is his (Mayank Agarwal) comfortable best is the opening for him.
Ajay Jadeja Said, ‘But if you look at the team and the resources you have, then this batting line-up in it is great. If there is a team in which Jonny Bairstow is opening, if he gets out, Rajapaksa will come, he plays with freedom. If he gets out, Livingstone will come. So until he is out, the bowlers will keep running.
When asked what lesson has the victory against Gujarat Titans brought for Punjab, Pragyan Ojha said, “What I think is this approach. Here you also have Mayank, who you can use as a versatile as Shikhar Dhawan will pause. We saw Rajapaksa being sent upstairs. I think Mayank has put himself behind playing. He has been away from the ball but is involved in the game.