IPL 2023: Price tag doesn't help when you've had a bad season, says Manjrekar on PBKS releasing Mayank Agarwal

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar thinks Mayank Agarwal's release by Punjab Kings on Tuesday was primarily due to his inability to justify the high price tag following a poor season.

Agarwal was chosen as the team's captain for IPL 2022, and the organisation paid him a hefty INR 12 crores to stay. Agarwal joined the Punjab squad in 2018 and quickly teamed up with KL Rahul, the team's captain from 2018 to 2021, to form a potent opening pair.

However, the right-hander didn't score a tonne of runs in the IPL 2022 despite being promoted to leadership. Agarwal averaged 16.33 runs per game while scoring just 196 runs in 13 games. He struggled on the leadership front as Punjab finished the season in sixth position in the ten-team points standings.

Agarwal would be replaced as the team captain in the IPL in 2023 by seasoned left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab had also announced earlier this month. "You see, Mayank Agarwal is a very interesting case. For one thing, the price tag doesn't help when you've had a bad season.

"This game is not for nice guys," said Manjrekar on "IPL - Special Retention Show" on Star Sports. "There's a temptation to release that player and use that money to maybe re-buy or you know, look at another option. But the thing about Mayank Agarwal? Too much of a nice guy."

Further, Manjrekar believed that Agarwal's choice to give up his opening spot to England's Jonny Bairstow was a terrible one for him as a batter because he didn't even perform well in the middle order in the later stages of IPL 2022.

With KL Rahul at the top of the order, he enjoyed a wonderful couple of seasons. He actually outperformed KL Rahul at the top position, was named captain, and in an ideal world, a person would have another year to establish themselves.

And the worst thing that could have happened to him was that he gave up his stellar opening position and dropped down the order. In other words, it became harder to hit, and when the runs didn't come, the pressure increased," he continued.

Agarwal might be a highly sought-after choice in the mini auction, Manjrekar said. Because he will produce big scores at a strike rate of 150 to 160 and be effective against both pace and spin, he will be a very, very attractive proposition for teams looking for an opener.