IPL 2021: Punjab Kings’ Mayank Agarwal says he wanted to be an Air Force pilot- Cricket may seem to be the first career-choice for any international cricketer but not every player has the same aspiration. Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Mayank Agarwal, who joined the camp on March 23 ahead of IPL 2021, said he wanted to be an Air Force pilot. But as fate would have it, he ended up becoming a successful cricketer and India’s Test opener.
Answering a tete-a-tete from Punjab Kings, Mayank Agarwal said he would have become an Air Force pilot if not a cricketer. “I would have tried to be an Air Force pilot. I’m not sure if I had succeeded, but I wanted to be an Air Force pilot,” the Karnataka batsman said in a video posted by Punjab Kings on Wednesday night.
.@mayankcricket’s back with us and has a lot to say 🗣
Find out who he wants to quarantine with? 😅⬇️#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #KingsInQuarantine pic.twitter.com/37hlVomjTq
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) March 24, 2021
Mayank began his 7-day quarantine in Mumbai on March 24 ahead of the IPL 2021 campaign that will begin on April 9. Punjab will play their first three matches in Mumbai before shifting to Chennai. They will take on Rajasthan Royals on April 12.
For Punjab Kings IPL 14 will be another opportunity to shrug off the disappointments of last season where they missed the playoffs and finished sixth with 12 points. One win would have made all the difference and Mayank Agarwal lamented at the missed opportunity.
“It was heartbreaking to miss the playoffs by just a game. But that’s how it is and we look forward to this year now. Very excited to playing back in India. I think IPL at home is the best feeling It would have been nicer to have crowds but then it’s just the situation, but it’s wonderful to be back,” he said.
For Mayank personally, IPL 2020 was his best season in the tournament, scoring 424 runs including a century and two half-centuries in 11 games. KL Rahul and Mayank made sure Punjab stayed in the hunt for the IPL playoffs until the last match. He will try to emulate his form and playing five matches in Bengaluru, his home city, could be of big help. Punjab will shift to Bengaluru in the later stage of the league matches.
“That’s one advantage of not having home games. Finally, we get to play five games in Bengaluru. We are really excited for it, really happy. A place where we played a lot of cricket. Yes, we understand the ground and we are looking forward to playing there,” he said.