Mayank Agarwal to lead Punjab Kings; Jason Roy pulls out of Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2022 
With just a little over three weeks left for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition, activities off the field have started gathering pace. India opening batsman Mayank Agarwal has been revealed as the new captain of the Punjab Kings team whereas the dashing England opening batsman Jason Roy has pulled out from the campaign for one of the two new teams in the world’s biggest tournament, Gujarat Titans.
Agarwal has been one of the most prominent players for Punjab Kings over the last few seasons and has emerged as a natural choice for leadership after KL Rahul parted ways with the team and joined Lucknow Supergiants as their captain. Agrawal has been among plenty of runs for the Punjab Kings team and his presence at the top of the order is one of the most assuring side for the team which is chasing IPL glory this year with plenty of big moves in the mega auction.
Agarwal said in a statement released by the team,
“I have been at Punjab Kings since 2018 and I take a lot of pride in representing this fantastic unit. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the team. I take over this responsibility with utmost sincerity, but at the same time, I believe my job would be made easier with the talent we have at the Punjab Kings squad this season.”
The right-handed opening batsman Agarwal was one of the two players who were retained by Punjab Kings ahead of the IPL 2020, with fast bowler Arshdeep Singh being the other one.
“We have some vastly experienced players in our ranks, along with many talented youngsters who are keen to grab the opportunity and run with it. We have always taken to the field hoping to win the title and as a team we will once again work towards this goal of lifting our maiden IPL trophy. I thank the team management for entrusting me with this new role of leading the side. I look forward to the new season and the new challenges it brings with it,”
Agarwal said.
On the other hand, Gujarat Titans are yet to announce the replacement for their opening batsman Jason Roy, who has withdrawn from the seniors tournament citing bio bubble fatigue. Roy was recently busy playing for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League tournament, wherein he finished as the leading run-scorer for his team with 303 runs at 50.50 — scoring one century and two fifties — in only six matches that he played this year.
Roy is opting out of an IPL tournament for the second time in last three years, having done so earlier in 2020 when he was roped in by Delhi Capitals for INR 1.5 crores. In the IPL 2022 mega auction, the right-handed England batsman was picked up by Gujarat Titans for his base price of INR 2 crores.
The IPL 2022 tournament is set to start on March 26 and will go on till May 29, with as many as 74 matches to be played between 10 teams, who have been divided in groups of two and given seedings according to the number of times they have won IPL title or have reached the play-offs.
