Indian Premier League 2022 – “Bilkul Bekaar Thi”: Mohammed Azharuddin Comes Down Hard On Punjab Kings Captain Mayank Agarwal’s Strategy Against Delhi Capitals

The Mayank Agarwal-led Punjab Kings are in a very tricky situation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Their 17-run loss to Delhi Capitals on Monday was their seventh in 13 matches. They have 12 points so far, and with only one league-stage match left in their campaign, PBKS will have to depend on other teams’ results to have a shot at qualifying for the play-offs. Agarwal, who was appointed the skipper ahead of the season, has failed to perform with the bat too. In 12 matches, he has scored 195 runs at an average of just 17.73.

In the match against DC, he got out for zero. But more than his batting, it was his captaincy that left former Indian cricket team captain Mohammed Azharuddin highly unimpressed.

“I did not understand one thing that why (Liam) Livingstone was removed from the attack after he had taken one wicket. Because after a bowler has scalped a wicket, he can be given another over. Today Mayank Agarwal’s captaincy was below average because he did not use his brains,” Azharuddin said in an interview to Crictracker.

“Because after PBKS got the early wicket of Warner, he could have used their main bowlers. Arshdeep Singh could have been used. The ball was new and he could been given an over. He bowls so well with the old ball, he could have bowled better with the new ball. Maybe PBKS could have got one or two more wickets. His captaincy was not special. I must say that today Punjab played poor brand of cricket.”

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Livingstone was PBKS’ best bowler against DC. He finished with figures of 3/27 in four overs and helped PBKS restrict DC for 159/7 in 20 overs. Livingstone dismissed Warner off the first ball of the innings but then he was taken off the attack. He was brought back in the 12th over and he picked up Rishabh Pant in the same over.

PBKS managed just 142/9 in 20 overs.