Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shikhar Dhawan is unlikely to turn up for the side’s upcoming IPL 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Thursday. The Southpaw also missed the side’s last match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Dhawan had been in superb form with the bat scoring 233 runs in just 4 matches with a best of 99* and a strike rate of 146.54 and an average of 116.50.
Dhawan, 37, who is one of the bright spots in the Punjab team, was ruled out against Lucknow Super Giants on April 15 due to a shoulder injury and in his stead, Sam Curran had captained the side in their last encounter against Lucknow Super Giants.
The match saw many unlikely players stepping up in the captain’s absence as Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza top-scored with a polished 57, while Matthew Short, Harpreet Singh, and Shahrukh Khan guided the team to the finish line.
On the other hand, Curran’s iffy form with the bat has been a concern, as he could manage just six runs against LSG, though his three wickets played a key role in restricting KL Rahul’s side to 159/8.
PBKS Bowling Coach Charl Langeveldt Says That Shikhar Dhawan Is Not There Yet And Requires Few More Days To Get Fit
Meanwhile, a report in the Hindu suggested that Dhawan underwent a fitness test during the PBKS’ training session on the eve of the match. However, PBKS bowling coach, Charl Langeveldt said Dhawan “was not there yet”, adding that it would take a while for him to be match ready.
Punjab, currently fifth with six points from five outings, have been performing well and for them to stay in the top half of the IPL 2023 points table they need their brittle batting to come through well. Both Prabhsimran (4) and his new opening batter Atharva Taide (0) were dismissed cheaply, leaving the others to shore up the innings.
Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2023: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Nathan Ellis, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Prabhsimran Singh (w/k), Kagiso Rabada, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, M Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Singh, Matthew Short, Sikandar Raza, Atharva Taide.