Inconsistent performance is the reason why Mayank did not stick in the international circuit for long, but he certainly left an impression

February 16 marks the birthday of cricketer Mayank Agarwal, one of those players with immense potential to become a long-lasting international cricketer. Unfortunately, inconsistency did not allow Mayank to stick in the international circuit for long, but he certainly left an impression.

As Agarwal turns 35 this year, here’s a shoutout to the domestic star who also stole the limelight at the global stage on several occasions.

Karnataka’s domestic hero

(Credit- India Today)

Hailing from Bengaluru, Karnataka, Mayank Agarwal's 2017-18 Ranji season was one of the best ever in the tournament’s history, as he scored 1,160 runs. Overall, in first-class cricket, Agarwal has played 122 matches, having amassed 8,743 runs at an average of 43.71. Another big highlight of Mayank’s domestic career was his 304-run knock for Karnataka against Maharashtra.

Three IPL seasons of consistency

Mayank was part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2011, but his best seasons were in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2019, Agarwal made 332 runs in 13 matches, followed by 424 runs in 11 matches, whereas in 2021, he again breached the 400-run mark, hitting 441 runs in 12 matches.

(Credit- MensXP)

Last year, Mayank Agarwal went unsold in the mega auction of the IPL but was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a replacement for injured player Devdutt Padikkal. Despite playing only four matches, Agarwal made a significant impact in the final, becoming the 19th Indian player to score 5,000 T20 runs.

Overall, in the IPL, Mayank has 2,756 runs in 131 matches, whereas in all domestic T20s, he has 5,147 runs in 222 matches.

International milestones

Although he had very limited time on the global stage, whenever Mayank got a chance, he achieved some kind of a milestone in Test cricket. When he made his Test debut against Australia, he scored 76 runs in the first innings, which was then the highest score by an Indian debutant against Australia.

(Credit- The Indian Express)

Mayank also converted his maiden Test century into a double century against South Africa and was the third fastest Indian batsman to score 1,000 Test runs in 19 innings. Not to forget, in the inaugural World Test Championship cycle, he scored 857 runs, the fourth-highest by an Indian player.

It is true that Mayank could not completely capitalise on the opportunities he received, but every time he drifted away, he came back stronger and flashed his potential.

On Mayank Agarwal’s 35th birthday, we hope he gets to get this season’s IPL and produce a strong performance before his cricketing days come to an end.