IPL 2022 came to an end with the Gujarat Titans (GT) lifting their maiden IPL trophy in their debut season, while the Rajasthan Royals (RR) ended their campaign as the runners-up.
The 15th edition of the IPL concluded on a good note for players like Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, etc who managed to get back their form.
On the other hand, quite a few star players failed to perform well throughout the season, which included the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal also had a rough season, as the burden of leading the franchise had a bad impact on his batting form.
Mayank has led Punjab a couple of times in absence of KL Rahul, but this was the first time when he was appointed as the full-time captain.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh feels that the poor form exhibited by Mayank was the most shocking aspect for him this season. The legendary off-break bowler said that Mayank looked suffocated because of the burden of leading the team.
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Talking to Sportskeeda, Harbhajan said, “Mayank… I think if we talk about Agarwal, I thought to myself ‘What has happened to him? He is such a good player. After getting captaincy, I think it put pressure on him. From opening, he went down to No. 4. He kept soaking everything. He looked suffocated. He should have been given freedom. He was under the radar and surely could have been a little better."
Failing to lead his team from the front with the bat, Mayank ended the season with 196 runs in 13 matches to his name.
The 41-year-old ace spinner also lauded Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, calling him the surprise package of IPL 2022.
“Wanindu Hasaranga became a match-winner after coming here. He was always a good bowler, we knew he was going to do well. But for me, he was the surprise package because the way he foxed the batters, he showed that he has the skills to succeed. It was fun to see him operate," said Harbhajan.
The Sri Lankan spinner lost the Purple Cap battle for 1 wicket, as Rajasthan Royals spinner Yuvendra Chahal won the cap with 27 wickets up his sleeves.
(Sportskeeda inputs)
