IPL 2018: Mayank Agarwal banking on IPL success for India call up

Mayank Agarwal looking forward to play under R Ashwin in the IPL 2018.

Mayank Agarwal has 2,232 runs under his belt in the 2017-18 domestic season | PTI

Karnataka swashbuckling opener – Mayank Agarwal is hoping to have a brilliant upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 with Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in a bid to get a call-up from the Indian Team.

The 27-year-old, who is the leading run-scorer in Indian domestic season 2017-18 with 2,232 runs under his belt, shattered many batting records in the domestic cricket, but he is yet to get a national call and he is eager to succeed in the IPL 2018 to represent the Men in Blue.

Mayank told Times of India, “For me as a player, one of the targets would be to succeed in this year's IPL. I don't want to be called a one-season wonder. You want to get better with every season. I don't want anyone to point fingers at me and say that he didn't perform after one season.”

The right-hander further added, “My aim is to add value to the side, and it doesn't only have to be as an opener. If playing in the middle-order helps the team, so be it. Cricket is not an individual sport, it is a team sport. The team management decides what the role of a player should be; and, at the end of the day, as a player, you have to go out there and perform.”

The aggressive opener also termed KXIP’s team director Virender Sehwag as his favorite cricketer and he is looking forward to pick the brains of legendary Indian batsman. Agarwal further stated, “He (Sehwag) is my favorite cricketer. As a kid, I was always fascinated by the way he took the attack to the opposition and the way he dominated. What I would like to learn from him (Sehwag) is his mindset while tackling various situations. The way he used to approach high-profile games, the way he handled spinners, and various pressure situations - all that I would like to learn. Besides him, I would also like to learn as much as possible from other stalwarts like Gayle, Finch and [Ravichandran] Ashwin.”

He is also looking forward to play under the leadership of R Ashwin in the IPL 2018. He signed off by saying, “I am looking forward to playing under Ashwin's captaincy, and evolve under his leadership. At the end of the day, performance will be the key and I am hoping I can put in a good show.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 31 Mar, 2018

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