'He is an absolute livewire, a great entertainer': Mayank Agarwal effusive in praise for 36-year-old 'massive performer'

IPL 2022: Punjab Kings start their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 27 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

He has been a vital part of Punjab Kings since 2018 and Mayank Agarwal will be seen leading the franchise after being named the skipper last month. A part of the Indian Test team, Mayank was among the two players retained by Punjab alongside young pacer Arshdeep Singh. The team may have parted ways with former skipper and Mayank's long-time pal KL Rahul, but the 2014 IPL finalists roped in experienced names like Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada during the recent mega auction. ()

Mayank Agarwal celebrates his IPL century (IPLt20.com)

A proven performer in the lucrative T20 league, Dhawan, 36, comes with plenty of experience under his belt. The latest recruit is expected to open alongside Mayank, forming one of the most lethal partnerships this year in the IPL. Though Mayank was tight-lipped on the opening combination, he was effusive in praise for Dhawan as he underlined the left-handed batter's ability and unmatched energy.

"I can't talk about the batting order as of now but I can definitely say that we are excited to have Shikhar on board. He is an absolute livewire, a great entertainer, a massive performer and a lot of the guys will feed off his energy. He is also in a great mind space," Agarwal told PTI.

The newly appointed captain also spoke about the added responsibility and said he's focussing on batting the way he's doing without adding any new elements. Mayank crossed the 400-plus mark in the 2020 and 2021 seasons and is expected to play a key role in Punjab's chase for the elusive IPL title.

"When I am batting I am just a batsman. We have a lot of leaders and experience in the team and that makes it easier for me. I want to excel as a batsman and do the things I have been doing. (On the captaincy front) we have made our plans to take the team forward," he said.

Punjab also shelled out a whopping ₹11.5 crore for England all-rounder Liam Livingstone and splurged ₹9 crore on power-hitter Shahrukh Khan. The franchise also snapped up Kagiso Rabada and Jonny Bairstow for ₹9.25 crore and ₹6.75 crore respectively. They start their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 27 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

"We like to believe that we do have a title-winning squad and now it is upon us as players to execute our skills under pressure and see what we can make out of it," Mayank further said.