Punjab Kings have gotten off to a good start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign, winning 2 out of their first 3 matches. PBKS have ridden on their power-hitters but newly-appointed Mayank Agarwal has been struggling to get going.

Mayank has managed just 37 runs in 3 matches in IPL 2022, which includes the 32 he got against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match. Ever since Mayank has gotten out for 1 (vs KKR) and 4 (vs CSK). Despite their captain getting out cheaply, PBKS went on to chase down 211 against the 4-time champions and return to winning ways.

Former India opener and Punjab Kings captain, Virender Sehwag has opined that captaincy might be taking its toll on Mayank’s batting, urging the skipper to bring back the freedom with which he batted over the last few years in the IPL.

Notably, Mayank was appointed as captain of PBKS after KL Rahul decided not to be retained by the former finalists. Rahul was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 16 crore.

“No matter how he captains the side, he has a really good bowling line-up that can control proceedings. Mayank’s batting has been affected ever since he has become the captain,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

“If you talk about his form until last year, he was consistent. He should focus on his batting and forget that he has the role of a captain or something else. He should just bat freely without any pressure,” he added.

Known for his fearless approach, Sehwag advised Mayank to clear his head and go for the shots from the first delivery.

Because this is the format to showcase hitting skills because in ODIs or Tests, you need to be cautious. But as far as T20s are concerned, the format allows you to start attacking from the word go,” Sehwag added.

Mayank had scored in excess of 400 runs in the last 2 seasons for PBKS, playing the role of an aggressor in his opening stands with Rahul. He scored in excess of 156 in 2022 and 140 in 2021.

Mayank will be hoping to return to form when PBKS face unbeaten Gujarat Titans in their 4th match of IPL 2022 on Friday.