With his phenomenal performances and the consistent urge to bring up high-quality match-winning knocks for the nation, Shikhar Dhawan is one of the most celebrated and respected cricketers in India. His aggressive cricketing style has made a place in the hearts of the fans irrespective of their country.
Along with the International matches, the cricketer has also had an incredible journey as a player and as a captain in the most loved domestic cricket tournament in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He has been a significant part of several teams in the past in the tournament. Beginning his IPL Journey with his hometown team Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), he then went on to play for Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers (now Sunrisers Hyderabad) for several years. Shikhar was recently picked up in the mega auction (held for the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League) by Punjab Kings for 8.25 Crores.
Shikhar’s Masterclass For Punjab Kings
Shikhar Dhawan has been phenomenal in the Indian Premier League. In the past 15 editions of the tournament, he has successfully scored over 400 runs in 9 seasons.
Although he has played just one season for Punjab Kings, he has already become one of their key players. For his first season for the team, he scored 460 runs with the best score of 86*, supported by a season average strike rate of 126.35, which was backed with 3 half centuries that were all brought up in critical innings and were widely appreciated by the team owners, management and even the fans who are still looking forward to their team with the desire to lift their first tournament title.
Shikhar has proved to be a passionate and aggressive batsman who has hit over 700 fours and has smashed 136 sixes in the tournament.
Punjab Kings in the IPL
Punjab Kings has been known to bring in continuous and frequent amends in their team year after year in the hope to lift the title in the tournament at least once. Punjab Kings has always had the highest purse value in every IPL auction and has amusingly brought some exciting purchases and players to their squad. From players to team captains they have tried a lot of different combinations to win.
They have even changed their team logo, but the team led by famous Bollywood actress Preity Zinta showed no results. Recently, after 13 editions of the tournament, the team finally tried changing their team name in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings. They have often been criticized by fans and cricket experts for the same. They have held this inconsistency and frequent changes to be the reason for their losses in the game.
Shikhar Dhawan got the chance to captain one game for Punjab Kings in the previous edition. Mayank Aggarwal got injured and missed a game which landed Shikhar this opportunity to captain the team against his old team Sunrisers Hyderabad. Unfortunately, Punjab Kings lost the match and Shikhar got out for mere 8 runs. Despite the experience, Punjab Kings showed trust in the Indian cricket player and named him captain for the 16th edition as they released Mayank Aggarwal ahead of the auction for IPL 2023.
Shikhar has had a note-worthy captaincy experience with Sunrisers Hyderabad as well. He led the team in 16 matches (2 seasons combined) with 10 wins and 6 losses. Shikhar also recently captained Indian Cricket Team for their tour of Sri Lanka wherein the team won the ODI as well as the T20 under his leadership. The stats may seem to be reasonable and good for him as a captain, and his experience along with the good in-form players in the squad with Arshdeep Singh, Johnny Bairstow, and Liam Livingstone can bring significantly impactful results for this franchise in the new season.
Conclusion
Punjab Kings has ₹32.2 crore purse value ahead of the upcoming IPL Auction and can look forward to targeting many players to bring into their squad. The franchise and team management will look forward to including a powerful all-rounder to their squad, who can add a significant impact to the team with both bat and ball. Who else will be a better option than Sam Curran the player in the tournament of the recently held ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. They have a good bowling side but can strengthen their batting order as well with a good middle-order batsman who can hit powerful shots in the middle overs and even play decently with the quick loss of wickets.
Overall, Shikhar Dhawan captaining a side will be a treat to watch for the Indian Premier League fans and it will be fun to see the cricketer perform on the big stage with the responsibility of leadership. The BCCI will also look forward and focus on the player and his performance on the pitches of India as after years of pandemic the tournament will be played in the home and away format ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be held in India.
FAQs
Q1. When was Shikhar Dhawan bought by Punjab Kings?
Ans – Shikhar Dhawan was bought by Punjab Kings in the mega auction held for the 15th edition of the IPL.
Q2. Is Kings XI Punjab still playing in the IPL?
Ans – Kings XI Punjab has been named Punjab Kings before the 14th edition of the IPL and is still playing the tournament with the new name.
Q3. Will the IPL be played in Punjab Again?
Ans – Yes, IPL 16 will be played in the home and away format, and fans can support their favourite teams on their home grounds.
Q4. Will Mayank Aggarwal be back in Punjab Kings?
Ans – Mayank Aggarwal was recently released by the team and is available for auction if the team feels they can buy him again but will not have the Right To Match (RTM) card in play.
