From rejection to shot at redemption: Mayank Agarwal writes his own story | Cricket News
New Delhi: One of the biggest talking points after the IPL 2025 auction was the franchisees’ decision to not place a single bid for Mayank Agarwal. In a league where quality domestic batters with experience and a high strike rate enjoy great demand, Mayank going unsold was a shocker. The cricketer has played 127 IPL matches, maintaining a strike rate of 133.05, with his performances often making the crucial difference between victory and defeat.“Normally, there is no day that passes without me and Mayank discussing the game or exchanging notes. But that was a period where there was no connection at all for two or three days. I was also a little unsure over how to respond. It’s not an easy thing to see somebody who led an IPL side being totally out of the league’s circuit,” said the cricketer’s coach Rx Muralidhar in an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Mayank’s former coach Irfan Sait also admitted that he personally felt “very depressed” after the former RCB batter went unsold.“It was a shock and an unpleasant surprise for me, considering his track record as well as the fact that he has represented Team India in the past,” said Sait.Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa had earlier described cricket as a very insecure world, while Virat Kohli had admitted to being insecure as a young cricketer. It would have been very easy for the former RCB batter to engage in self-pity and fall into a negative spiral, especially considering his tendency to overthink. However, the cricketer instead invested his efforts in the right direction by focusing on his comeback and further enhancing his gameplay.
“Mayank said, ‘I have a few more years of cricket left. How would it be if I manage to make a comeback to the Indian team and win the World Cup?. One of the things we started working on was the need to finish off matches by taking more responsibility rather than simply focusing on a quick start. Secondly, we tweaked Mayank’s technique so that he could access different areas of the ground. He inculcated unorthodox strokes like the ramp shot as well as the reverse sweep into his gameplay. Additionally, Mayank started working on his fitness and became even fitter,” said Muralidhar.“Mayank realised that he needed to redo his thought process. If you keep thinking and acting the same way, you get the same results. He started looking more positively at situations rather than worrying about them. Mayank quickly turned the coin by saying that he has a great opportunity to improve further rather than poring over going unsold. Once you have decided to make changes, they should be executed completely,” he added.The former RCB batter also made a switch in his approach off the field, focusing on staying calm and attempting to understand cricket from a different perspective.“Overthinking is one of the traits that helped Mayank represent India, as he would keep analysing his performances and maintain hunger to record big scores rather than settling. However, it is also a double-edged sword, which he realised and has worked towards controlling. Vipassana has played a big role in calming his mind as well as keeping him grounded,” said Muralidhar.“Mayank further attended a few other courses, which include a level-2 coaching course, because he wanted a different perspective on the world of cricket,” he added.
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Sait further highlighted the former RCB batter’s decision to watch an IPL match from the stands in Chennai to understand how the public feels while watching an IPL match.“He was also eager to watch MS Dhoni live at the stadium as there were reports of IPL 2025 being his last season in the tournament,” he stated.The results soon started to flow as Mayank smashed 651 runs in 10 matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping Karnataka win the tournament. The batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the 2024-25 edition, leading from the front.“Mayank’s performances impressed quite a lot of people. He also seemed a lot fitter and stronger, which drew appreciation. That is something which even Virat Kohli noted. I think they played a match where Mayank looked pretty sharp. Everybody knows that he keeps giving his 125% on the pitch. Mayank is an ultimate professional and the scores reflected that,” said Muralidhar.The Karnataka captain also made his mark while featuring for Sait’s club team, scoring vital runs in crucial matches.“There were important games in which he scored a ton in one clash, an 80 in another, ensuring a contribution of useful runs. We won a two-day game outright thanks to Mayank’s leadership. He managed the bowlers astutely, set up the field and motivated the boys. It’s not easy to get an outright victory in a two-day game. We further managed to chase down 450 in a match due to Mayank’s significant performances,” stated Sait.As the domestic season progressed and IPL 2025 kicked off, Mayank devoted his efforts towards representing Karnataka, accompanying his team on a tour of Oman. However, there was a surprise in store for the batter who received a call from RCB over featuring in a trial. Mayank had interestingly expressed desire to represent RCB this season before the player auction.
“He went for a trial with RCB as soon as the team returned. Mayank performed pretty decently, leaving the cricketers present quite impressed,” said Muralidhar.While circumstances didn’t go in favour of the former RCB batter, it all worked out for Mayank this time. The cricketer was signed by RCB as an injury replacement for Devdutt Padikkal, sealing a return to the Bengaluru-based franchise after 12 years.“I can guarantee you that he will do anything and everything for this team because I know RCB is very close to his heart. We always wanted Mayank to get back here, not in this way, but God has plans for everyone and your hard work has really shown,” reacted Kohli in a video released by RCB, showcasing his appreciation for the team’s new signing.
Mayank was over the moon after being signed by RCB, receiving a lot of calls and greetings. “One of the RCB scouts is also a coach in my academy and was tracking him. He must have kept track of Mayank’s performances. All good things could have happened. Being picked by RCB was a very pleasant surprise,” shared Sait.Muralidhar shared that Mayank was quite relieved after being picked. “He felt really nice that something eventually worked out after all the hard work. It’s always a good feeling,” he said.“A lot of people told him that he needs to reduce the number of hours spent on the ground. However, Mayank kept believing that he needs to bat for three to four hours a day. So, even though he is in good form, he keeps batting, batting and batting. There wasn’t a single day when Mayank didn’t turn up and train hard. I don’t think anybody can take that away. Mayank followed the process and eventually got a chance. If the time is right, it has to happen and it did happen,” added Muralidhar.
