Mayank Agarawal 2.0: The ‘Monk’ Who Used Vipassana To Fuel His Cricket Comeback

For every fall, Mayank Agarawal rose stronger. In an exclusive conversation, he speaks about his comeback.

Interview with Mayank Agarawal.

(Photo: BCCI/Alrered by The Quint)

A long sprint from the deep. A euphoric leap. A jubilant scream. Is this the real Mayank Agarawal?

Indeed, the situation demanded exultation. Abhilash Shetty had claimed Vidarbha’s last wicket, and Karnataka were the Vijay Hazare Trophy champions after five years.

Yet, such animated reactions are rare from Mayank Agarawal. His nickname, after all, is ‘Monk.’

Through numerous setbacks, through multiple instances of being denied opportunities that he – arguably, if not certainly – deserved, Mayank had been the epitome of poise. Unsurprisingly, the real Mayank Agarawal revealed himself a few moments later, quietly handing the trophy to his teammates and taking a backseat in the second row during the team’s celebratory photo.

Vipassana & Cricket

Before the Vijay Hazare triumph, Mayank saw himself going unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions. This, after scoring 2661 runs, with a 441-run season only three seasons prior. At 33, what fueled his comeback was the ancient practice of mindfulness, that we know as ‘Vipassana.’

Speaking with The Quint in an exclusive interview, Agarawal says:

I was introduced to Vipassana by my father when I was 19 years old. It has played a very major role in shaping my mindset, in shaping who I am as a person. Having done many courses of Vipassana, I have realised that the most important aspect is how I react to a situation.

Mayank Agarawal

Explaining its core principles, he added:

The key is having a positive mindset, and then knowing that there is only so much you can do as a person. So, you need to have the mindset of acceptance. The other important aspect is patience. There are so many times that we want things to happen in our way, but they don’t play out like that. What we need to do is just sit back, have the mindset of acceptance of, tell us that ‘okay, we are dealing with these problems,’ and have patience to follow the process and get the desired results. There are the crucial learnings I picked up from Vipassana, and they have helped me a lot in my life.

Mayank Agarawal

Crowning of Karnataka

On Karnataka’s title-winning campaign, Mayank reflected:

It is a great feeling to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and to win it like we did. I think the commendable thing is to win a tournament like this one while we're transitioning as a team. That is phenomenal. All the credit goes to everybody who was a part of the team. My boys stepped up and delivered the performances in crucial times to win matches for Karnataka.

Mayank Agarawal

The Vijay Hazare Trophy was preceded by the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where Mayank scored 179 runs, with only one half-century in seven matches.

He explains the quick turnaround:

In terms of technique, I made slight changes for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. There were subtle changes in my backlift. But to be honest, I think I was batting well throughout the season. I got a few thirties and a few forties in SMAT, which I could not convert into eighties and hundreds. But that was something that I really looked to do in the Vijay Hazare. Whenever I got set, I made sure I bat, big, get the runs and take the team through. And I'm very happy that I could do that and score four centuries, with an average of 90 (93). As a player, it was very pleasing for me.

Mayank Agarawal

The Stint With Punjab Kings

Despite this being his first triumphant stint as Karnataka’s skipper, Mayank has had experience of leading a team in the Indian Premier League – Punjab Kings in 2022, where they finished sixth.

Reminiscing how he led a team packed with stalwarts, including Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank says:

I believe I had a good season with Punjab as their captain. We were just one win away from qualifying for the playoffs, so it was overall a good season. It would have been nice to have qualified, of course, but it is what it is.

Mayank Agarawal

Learnings from the PBKS stint have had a role to play in Karnataka’s success.

Although captaining a franchise and captaining your state are two very different things, there are a few learnings from the IPL that I took in, because it's a very dynamic tournament, with a lot of pressure. The one learning in particular that I took from captaining an IPL team is that even if the results don't go your way, it's very crucial to stick to your plans and control the urge to make changes to make a perfect team.

Mayank Agarawal

On IPL Snub, & the SRH Chapter

In the early 2020s, Mayank was scoring north of 400 runs in consecutive IPL editions. Come 2022, he was leading a franchise. Now, only three years down the line, he finds himself – as harsh as the auctioneer makes it sound – unsold.

When asked if the snub hurt, he admitted:

Yes, it did hurt to not be picked up in the auction. It did. But I'm somebody who doesn't really sit back and think too much and wonder about what's going wrong. I just look at what are the ways and what are the things I can do to improve my game and put in more performances. Then I just wait for my time and turn.

Mayank Agarawal

After being released by Punjab, Mayank found a new home in SunRisers Hyderabad. The move, unfortunately for the batter, did not pay dividends, as he struggled with form in 2023, and then barely got any opportunities in 2024.

Yet, he chose to focus on learning.

I got an opportunity with SunRisers Hyderabad for the first three or four games last year, and I couldn’t deliver the performances they were looking for. It wasn’t a great start, and then obviously, we all saw what SRH did in the rest of the season. When I looked at them, I was like ‘Wow!’. When the team is playing great cricket, you appreciate them and you support everybody who's part of the playing XI. I backed them, and I tried to learn from them. As a player who has played a lot of cricket, I realise that sometimes things might work for me, and sometimes they won’t. And when they don't, I think it's very important for me to add value and be a team man. When I was not getting any game time in SRH, I thought it was very important to learn the brand of cricket they were playing. It was very nice to be in close quarters, learn from the guys and apply it in my game.

Mayank Agarawal

How To Avoid the Victim Mindset

The IPL snub was not the first occurrence of Mayank not being rewarded with what he had earned. Two double centuries were not enough to cement his place in the Indian Test team, neither was being India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the inaugural World Test Championship cycle good enough to earn him a place in the playing XI for the final.

Although, following the theme, he did not brood over the lack of opportunities.

I don't sit back and think about whether I was hard done by. I'm not a person who thinks about how things should have been. Instead, I focus on how it is and take it in my stride. When I was not a part of the Test team, I sat back and looked at it. I tried to understand what are the areas I could still improve on, what more can I do, how can I get even more consistent, and how can I put how can I put in even more match-winning performances. I worked on those aspects, instead of thinking whether I was hard done by or what happened with me was wrong. I take whatever comes in my stride and move on, looking to get better. For me, the journey inward is very important. And how I respond to what happens is as important as the situation itself.

Mayank Agarawal

Mayank is determined to steer clear of the ‘victim mindset.’

One thing that I can definitely say is that I don’t see myself as a victim, and I don’t want anyone else to think of me as a victim. I don't believe in that. It is only that things play out in a particular manner, but it does not make anyone a victim. Vipassana has really helped me be aware of negative thoughts coming to my mind. When you're aware, you can have better control and decide which thoughts you want to respond to. I don’t respond to thoughts about whether I did not get the chances that I deserved. For me, it is always about what's next, what needs to be done ahead.

Mayank Agarawal

Hope (Is a Good Thing)

Rather, Mayank is channeling all his energy – emotional, physical and spiritual – on making a comeback to the Indian team.

Definitely, I hope to wear the Indian jersey again. The hope is there. I’m a very hopeful person. I work hard to achieve my goals and I take whatever is thrown my way, so the hope is always there. I am not fixated on it (making a national team comeback), but I do prepare. If and when that opportunity comes, I need to I need to give myself the best possible chance to succeed.

Mayank Agarawal