PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan suffered a shoulder injury before the PBKS vs. RR match on April 13th and has been ruled out for a couple of matches, according to coach Sanjay Bangar.
Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan is set to miss crucial matches due to a shoulder injury, according to coach Sanjay Bangar. The injury could sideline Dhawan for at least a week, potentially extending to ten days.
The development came after the Punjab Kings’ narrow defeat to the Rajasthan Royals in a low-scoring match. Speaking at a post-match press conference, Bangar stated, “He’s having a shoulder injury, so he is likely to be out for at least a couple of days, I would say. Having an experienced opener, somebody like Shikhar, who has experience playing on such wickets, becomes extremely crucial [for the team]. We have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. At the moment, it seems that he could be out of action for at least seven to ten days,” as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
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Dhawan’s absence disrupted the Punjab Kings’ leadership plans. Sam Curran assumed captaincy duties for the toss against RR on April 13th. It startled many, as Jitesh Sharma was more likely to take the helm.
However, Bangar clarified the misunderstanding: “No, no, he [Jitesh] wasn’t the designated vice-captain. The impression could have been because he attended the captains’ conference in Chennai prior to the season. But the thought was always that… because Sam had led the team in the previous year as well,” added the coach.
While Dhawan has not been in top batting form this IPL season, he is still the team’s leading run scorer with 152 runs in five innings. His absence compounds the Punjab Kings’ struggles at the top of the batting order.
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In Dhawan’s absence, the PBKS experimented with Atharva Taide at the top of the order against the Rajasthan Royals. Taide scored 15 runs on 12 balls, but the team only managed to reach a total of 147 for 8. After facing defeat against the table-topper, PBKS now sits in the eighth position in the IPL points table.
Last Updated on April 14, 2024