NEW DELHI: Indian batter Mayank Agarwal revealed that he started playing cricket after watching Sachin Tendulkar play against Australia but his batting idol is explosive batter Virender Sehwag.
Mayank reminisced about the days when he was about to begin his cricketing journey and his idol while speaking on JioCinema’s daily show ‘#AAKASHVANI’, hosted by Aakash Chopra.
“I started playing the game by watching Sachin (Tendulkar) paaji bat against Australia, but my batting idol would be Virender Sehwag. I had an amazing opportunity to work with him when I played for Punjab Kings.”
He also went on to talk about the story behind his first autograph and how his father managed to get the signatures of star cricketers and said, “I don’t remember taking an autograph, but fortunately, my father was on an aircraft where Venkatesh Prasad, Sunil Joshi, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath were there. We still have that at home. It was a paper napkin, and he took five of their autographs, framed it and got it for me. I was seven or eight years old at that time.”
Mayank has been struggling to make his spot back in the national team but has been a prominent figure for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League as well as in domestic cricket.
Earlier this year, he scored a ton for the Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters who found their elusive first victory as they beat the Mysuru Warriors by 11 runs in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20.
Mayank Agarwal (105 off 57 balls) and a four-wicket haul by debutant off-spinner Mohsin Khan (4/35) helped Bengaluru overpower a blitzkrieg in the second innings from Mysuru Warriors impact Player SU Karthik (70 off 30 balls), in a match that saw over 400 runs. (ANI)