IPL 2021: 'Those pull shots were breathtaking'- Sunil Gavaskar lauds PBKS batsman's shot-making against Delhi Capitals | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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IPL 2021: 'Those pull shots were breathtaking'- Sunil Gavaskar lauds PBKS batsman's shot-making against Delhi Capitals

May 03, 2021 11:35 AM IST

Sunil Gavaskar lavished rich praise on PBKS' stand-in captain Mayank Agarwal, who scored an impressive unbeaten 99 against Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Punjab Kings on Sunday batted first against Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad and posted 166/6 in 20 overs. 99 of those were scored by their stand-in skipper Mayank Agarwal, who took his IPL 2021 runs tally to 260 after 7 matches and impressed former India captain Sunil Gavaskar with his elaborate shot-making. (Full IPL 2021 coverage)

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar. (File Photo)(HT Archives)
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar. (File Photo)(HT Archives)

Eventually, PBKS suffered a seven-wicket defeat as DC, through Shikhar Dhawan's 69-run innings, chased down the target in just 17.4 overs. Gavaskar, speaking to Star Sports in the post-match show, lavished rich praise on Agarwal, who took up the captaincy role after KL Rahul was admitted to the hospital upon being diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

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"The way he (Mayank Agarwal) was making rooms to play through the off-side, that’s his strength generally. But every time also the ball was also pitched in short, he was pulling the ball off the front foot. Something that they have all seemed to have picked from Rohit Sharma. Rohit Sharma is probably the best puller of the ball off the front foot and all the young Indians have picked it up from him," said Gavaskar.

Cricketer-turned-commentator Gavaskar also added that it has now become very difficult to bowl short deliveries to Indian batsmen as a lot of them have developed a good pull shoot. He went on to praise Mayank's variety.

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"So, it’s very difficult to bowl a short of length delivery to them. Earlier on, a short of a length delivery, if you didn’t have a good pull shot, you could pretty much ensure of getting a dot ball or a single. But now what is happening, the short of length delivery is going into the stands with the way these pull it away from the front foot. And I was most impressed with those shots. The off drives, the cover drives we know that he can play but those pull shots played by Mayank Agarwal were breathetaking," remarked Gavaskar.

With this defeat, Punjab Kings is placed sixth in the points table and has an uphill task of having to win all their remaining games to make the playoffs. Rahul is expected to re-join after recovering from his suirgery.

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