Mayank Agarwal named captain of Punjab Kings
New Delhi(PTI): Opener Mayank Agarwal was on Monday named the captain of Punjab Kings for the upcoming Indian Premier League.
A member of the Indian Test team, the 31-year-old from Bengaluru was one of the two players retained by Punjab Kings alongside young pacer Arshdeep Singh ahead of the mega auction earlier this month.
"I have been at Punjab Kings since 2018 and I take a lot of pride in representing this fantastic unit. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the team," Agarwal said in a press release issued by the franchise.
"I take over this responsibility with utmost sincerity, but at the same time, I believe my job would be made easier with the talent we have at the Punjab Kings squad this season."
Agarwal has been an integral part of Punjab Kings since 2018, has served as the squad's vice-captain and has also briefly led the team last season.
"We have some vastly experienced players in our ranks, along with many talented youngsters who are keen to grab the opportunity and run with it.
"We have always taken to the field hoping to win the title and as a team we will once again work towards this goal of lifting our maiden IPL trophy. I thank the team management for entrusting me with this new role of leading the side.
"I look forward to the new season and the new challenges it brings with it."
Agarwal, who made his IPL debut in 2011, aggregated more than 400 runs in the last two seasons. He has also played 19 Tests scoring 1429 runs, including four hundreds, and five ODIs for India.
Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble, "Mayank has been an integral part of the side since 2018 and of the leadership group for the last two years. The new squad we selected at the recently concluded auction has exciting young talent and outstanding experienced players.
"We want to create a strong foundation for the future with Mayank at the helm. He is hardworking, enthusiastic, a team player with all the attributes required of a leader.
"I look forward to working with him as captain and believe that he will lead this team to a successful campaign."
Punjab Kings have been perennial underachievers in the league, reaching the IPL finals only once in 2014. They finished sixth out of eight teams in last three editions.
The franchise went into the recent IPL mega auction with the maximum purse and picked up some quality players and are hoping to claim their maiden title in the cash-rich tournament this time.
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Two Naxalites gunned down in encounter with cops in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): Two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, police said.
The exchange of fire broke out in a forest along the Indravati river in the morning when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, a senior police official said.
After guns fell silent, bodies of two Naxalites, clad in uniform, along with a Self-Loading Rifle, an Insas rifle and a 12-bore rifle were recovered from the spot, he said.
Search operation was still underway, he added.
With this action, at least 25 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year.
Earlier, 14 Maoists were gunned down in two encounters on January 3 in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur.
Last year, 285 Maoists were killed in various encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism from the country.
