NewsFor Agarwal, it’s all about cashing in when the call comes. A spell with Yorkshire has given him the perfect tune-up for the Ranji season.
Mayank Agarwal laughs when he tries to remember the precise date Yorkshire rang. “30th, or maybe it was the 31st,” he shrugs down the phone. What he does recall is scrambling for a UK visa and hopping on a long-haul flight within the week, all because a county contract – something he had been chasing for “three or four years” – had finally landed.
“I’d been trying for a county stint for three or four years. A couple of years ago, Surrey had called, but the Duleep Trophy came in the way,” he said on Tuesday. “This time it was sudden, but I didn’t think twice. I’m glad I went. It was a lot of fun, and a very valuable experience.”
Five Championship innings later, Agarwal had 201 runs. The bulk of them – a match-defining 175 against Durham – arrived in his last knock, ensuring Yorkshire stayed in Division One. Two ducks in his first three visits were quickly forgotten.
“Getting runs in England felt great; it gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “The conditions and the way the game is approached are different – [like] the points system, [and] the tempo of play. I found that very refreshing. As an opening batter in England, it’s not the easiest place to play. You’ll get out early sometimes. You just have to make peace with it and move on. When I got in [against Durham], I made it big. That’s what mattered.”
That readiness to jump in at short notice has become a theme. Back in December 2018 he flew to Melbourne as an injury replacement and peeled off 76 on Test debut. Earlier this year he was enjoying a break in Oman when Andy Flower and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru staff rang, needing cover for the injured Devdutt Padikkal just before the IPL run-in.
“To come back and play for RCB, and to be part of the team that finally won the IPL, it was incredible,” he says, a grin clearly audible. A trial in Bengaluru preceded the signing – “very professional,” he reckons – and two handy knocks followed. The more telling came in Lucknow: an unbeaten 41 from 23 balls alongside Jitesh Sharma saw a 228-run chase reeled in and, crucially, secured a top-two finish.
“I'm proud I could contribute, played some good innings, [and] had crucial partnerships, including one with Jitesh [Sharma]”
Agarwal will now lead Karnataka into Wednesday’s Ranji opener against Saurashtra. The county stint, he feels, has set him up nicely. “Different ball, different wickets, but the basics don’t change,” he says – then admits, almost sheepishly, that he has tinkered with his guard to line up swing a touch earlier.
Coaches around him echo the view. Karnataka batting mentor Yere Goud reckons the 32-year-old’s “game awareness has gone up a notch”, while a former India selector suggests the runs at Headingley will be “noted when we sit to discuss back-up openers”.
Agarwal has heard that sort of talk before and refuses to get carried away. “All you can do is be ready when the phone rings,” he shrugs. The suitcase is still half-packed, just in case.
