PBKS vs DC: 3 best Mayank Agarwal knocks in the IPL

Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul had a field day against the Delhi Capitals on Sunday, with both openers registering half-centuries. Agarwal's eighth fifty of his IPL career especially set the tone for Punjab as they amassed 195 runs for the loss of four wickets in their 20 overs.

Skipper KL Rahul celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday with a solid 61 off 51 balls, anchoring the innings while Agarwal was going all guns blazing. Deepak Hooda (22 off 13) and Shahrukh Khan (15* off 5) finished strongly to take their side to a formidable total.

Being the aggressor, Agarwal got going from ball one. It paid dividends as he blasted seven fours and four sixes during his stay at the crease. The innings reminded us of how valuable he has been for his franchise in the IPL.

We hereby revisit three of Agarwal's best performances in his IPL career.

IPL 2020: 106 (50) against Rajathan Royals

Mayank Agarwal entered the list of IPL centurions with his scintillating 106 against the Rajasthan Royals in Sharjah last season. Coming off just 50 balls, the knock was studded with ten fours and seven sixes. Punjab set a target of 224 as KL Rahul complimented his Karnataka teammate with 69 off 54 balls.

However, a poor bowling display by Punjab effectively meant Rajasthan had chased down the target with three balls and four wickets to spare. Sanju Samson (85), Steve Smith (50) and Rahul Tewatia (53) took on the Punjab bowling attack and ensured their side grabbed the two points.

IPL 2020: 89 (60) against Delhi Capitals

Punjab ended up losing following a middle-order collapse in their chase of 157 runs. However, Agarwal's knock of 89 off 60 balls stood out.

Krishnappa Gowtham chipped in with a cameo at the fag end of the Punjab innings, but Delhi fought back brilliantly to take the game into a Super Over and eventually win the game.

IPL 2012: 64 (30) against Mumbai Indians

Playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore back in 2012, Agarwal took the crease after cheap dismissals of their famed trio of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers against the Mumbai Indians. Coming in at number 6, the hard-hitting Karnataka batsman took on Munaf Patel and scored a rapid 30-ball-64 to guide his team to a healthy 171/6 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

It was another unfortunate case of Agarwal's knock going in vain as RCB lost the game. Ambati Rayudu (81* off 54) and Kieron Pollard (52* off 31) saw the visitors home with five wickets to spare.