NEW DELHI: Karnataka recently scripted history by winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) for a record fifth time in the 2024-25 edition, bringing an end to their five-year title drought. One of the key reasons behind this triumph was the performance of captain Mayank Agarwal, who finished as the edition’s second-highest run-scorer, accumulating 651 runs in 10 matches. Karnataka registered the second-biggest successful chase in the tournament’s history, chasing down a target of 383 against Mumbai.
However, Mayank’s glorious run arrived after perseverance under immense pressure internally and externally. The cricketer was motivated to send a message to those who wrote him off, as shared by his coach Rx Muralidhar during an interaction with TOI.
“Mayank made a tremendous comeback considering Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25 didn’t go well. People were happy to write him off. Mayank said, ‘Hang on. Don’t rule me out. I am here to stay. VHT 2024-25 will be a special tournament where my 2.0 version will be visible'” said Muralidhar. The Karnataka captain had scored 179 runs in seven SMAT 2024-25 matches at an average of 25.57.
“We worked on him staying in the present, playing as many balls as possible and also enhanced his hitting ability. Worrying too much about the outcome was throwing him off-balance which we focussed on cutting out. Mayank took responsibility during the chase against Mumbai which was pleasing to see. Once you do that, the team rallies around you,” added the cricketer’s coach.
Mayank went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction despite being a prolific performer, which Muralidhar admitted left him stunned and disappointed. “Going unsold was very tough for Mayank as well as an emotional challenge. We looked at it as an opportunity to reprogram and redevelop the gameplay. Every dark phase provides an opportunity to grow. There have been lots of ups and downs in Mayank’s career. His mindset during the tough times is to keep on improving,” stated the cricketer’s coach.
“During the initial stages, Mayank was the basher of the team due to his fantastic strokeplay. After a few seasons, people questioned the lack of big runs. At that point, he transformed his focus towards converting his quick starts into match-winning knocks under pressure. Mayank knows he can take on any bowler at any point,” added Muralidhar.
The cricketer’s coach hailed his work ethic, stating that Mayank’s “sole focus in every breath” is to simply work towards making a comeback to the Indian team. “His only issue is self-doubt. In those moments, I keep bringing up the fact that he is the 295th player to represent India in Tests which is a huge achievement. That helps him beat the negativity,” said Muralidhar.
“My only advice to Mayank would be to keep bringing his passion into play. Magic happens in the middle, it doesn’t happen in the dressing room,” stated the cricketer’s coach.