India opener Shikhar Dhawan is set to replace Mayank Agarwal as skipper of Punjab Kings (PBKS) from IPL 2023.As per the ESPNcricinfo, Dhawan’s elevation was approved on Wednesday during a franchise board discussion and the decision was backed by the Kings’ newly-appointed head coach Trevor Bayliss.Dhawan will succeed Agarwal, who was named captain immediately before the IPL 2022 season. Before the major auction, where Dhawan was the first player they purchased, the Kings had retained Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh as their two players.
Kings paid Rs 8.25 crore earlier this year to select Dhawan, who has been among the most reliable batters since 2016 in IPL. He had a fantastic 2020 season, scoring 618 runs for Delhi Capitals, who had acquired him via trade from Sunrisers Hyderabad, at a strike rate of over 145.Dhawan scored 460 runs in 14 games during his first season with the Kings, averaging 38.33 and having a 122.66 strike rate. Agarwal joined the Punjab franchise in 2018 and teamed up well with KL Rahul, the captain up to the 2017-18 campaign. But as he rose through the ranks, his form began to deteriorate.Agarwal averaged 16.33 runs per game while scoring just 196 runs in 13 games. The team also performed poorly. By November 15, when IPL franchises are required to submit their final list of retained players, it will be known whether Kings will keep Agarwal or release him.According to IPL retention regulations, Kings agreed to pay Agarwal Rs 12 crore.