New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) Opener Mayank Agarwal opened up on the emotional arc of his IPL journey, saying that being a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title win made him release the emotions of all those years of being within and outside the franchise.

Agarwal won IPL 2025 with RCB, after being signed as a late replacement for the injured left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal. His notable contribution was hitting an unbeaten 23-ball 41 as RCB chased down 228 to beat Lucknow Super Giants and clinch a top two finish in the points table.

“My first year at RCB was 2011; we lost the final in Chennai. Winning now wasn’t just joy, it was closure to 2011. To go from not being part of the IPL to being part of the team that won it for the first time in 18 years, that’s history, and it’s hard to put into words. It was massive not just for the franchise but for the fans, players, and everyone connected to RCB. You could feel years of emotion release in that moment,” said Agarwal on RCB Podcast.

Recalling the high-pressure final, Agarwal credited Virat Kohli’s tactical inputs and Phil Salt’s aggressive start for setting the tone. “It was nervy. In the qualifier, Kyle Jamieson had a good over at me, so in the final when he started again, Virat said, ‘He’s getting bounce and shape; look to attack him square of the wicket, not just past third man’.”

“Once the first boundary came, the confidence followed and we put pressure back. Phil Salt’s intent set it up. My role was to keep the momentum. If I could soak up the pressure and turn it back quickly, our partnership would flow, and it did.”

Agarwal also spoke about the mental reset after going unsold initially in the auction, where he chose self-reflection over disappointment. “I gave myself 6-8 hours after the auction. Yes, thoughts came; I haven’t got picked, this could have been, that could have been but I was brutally honest with myself: ‘yes, you aren’t picked’.”

“There have to be a few places you need to work on, and if it’s even just a couple of things, why not fix them now for the coming season. Rather than leaning on auction dynamics, I just kept asking, what can I improve right now? I listed points with my batting coach and started immediately.”

He also talked in detail about the discipline behind his daily routine, which helped him stay focused and prepared. “I made a routine and followed it to the tee: wake up at 5, train, go to RX sir for skill sessions, finish by mid-afternoon, spend time with family, then give myself half an hour before sleep to plan tomorrow.”

“And then just relentlessly go about doing that, day after day. If I had achieved the plan for the day by 3 or 3:30, I allowed myself to switch off. But the next day’s checklist was already ready the night before.”

He further appreciated the clarity and challenge of the trials, especially coming from head coach Andy Flower. “Andy was very straightforward: ‘This is a selection match; make it or break it.’ I loved that. It put me in a spot where I had to perform, exactly like a real game.”

“I did well, the coaches were happy, and they felt, ‘This guy is ready; we don’t need to spend time preparing him for the game.’ Being told to come for open nets and practice games, not straight into the squad, was refreshing. It meant I had to earn it the same way I’d have to in a pressure situation.”

Agarwal remains focused on unfinished business with Karnataka in the domestic circuit, with the side yet to win Ranji Trophy after 2014-15 season. “I’ll try to be easier on myself, but honestly, I won’t. Karnataka hasn’t won in a while; we’ve played good cricket but haven’t crossed the line. We’ll do everything we can to win the Ranji Trophy, it would be huge for us and for Karnataka fans.”

–IANS

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