Punjab has lost four of their first six games in the ongoing 17th edition of IPL and they are currently in eighth position in the IPL 2024 points table, largely due to their problems with the bat at the top-order.
Tag: Shikhar Dhawan
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‘Mother alone doesn’t have rights’: Court asks Shikhar Dhawan’s estranged wife to bring son to India
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: A Delhi family court has directed cricketer Shikhar Dhawan’s estranged wife Aesha Mukherjee, who is residing in Australia, to bring their nine-year-old son Zoravar to India for a family gathering next month, observing that a mother alone does not possess exclusive rights over a child.
Earlier, the court had declined Dhawan’s plea on the ground that the child may miss classes at school and the get-together was not important enough to make him miss his studies.
Thereafter, the cricketer moved another application submitting that the get-together has been rescheduled to coincide with the school holidays of the child.
Again, it was opposed by Aesha arguing that the family function would be a ‘flop show’ as most of the extended family members were not consulted before fixing the date.
“The mother alone does not have rights over the child, why then is she opposing the petitioner meeting his own child when he is not a bad father,” Judge Harish Kumar of the family court at Delhi’s Patiala House Courts said.
The court clarified that the petitioner is not seeking permanent custody but simply wants to have his child here for a few days, saying ‘her unwillingness may not be justified.’
The court also noted that Shikhar’s family has not met the child since August 2020. Even if many did not show up for the function, the cricketer and his parents will have the “joy of having the company of their eye’s apple,” it said.
There are legal cases involving the couple in both India and Australia related to their divorce and custody of the minor child.
In the 14-page order, the judge observed that Dhawan has traveled to Australia for years to be with his son and has been a hands-on parent and affectionate father and it was also admitted by Aesha.
The court highlighted that the “blame for polluting the environment within the family has to be shared by both.”
“A dispute arises when one raises concerns and the other does not appreciate them or pay attention,” it said.
“Her objection on the expense might be justified and consequent objection might be alright but her unwillingness may not be justified. She has not been able to put forth what her fear is about the petitioner qua the child and why she approached the court in Australia to put him on the watch list. If the petitioner had intended to take the law in his own hands for taking the custody of the child, he would not have approached the court in India,” it added.
Last month, the court had pulled up Aesha for questioning the jurisdiction of the Indian court for dealing with the issue of bringing the child to India for attending the family function.
NEW DELHI: A Delhi family court has directed cricketer Shikhar Dhawan’s estranged wife Aesha Mukherjee, who is residing in Australia, to bring their nine-year-old son Zoravar to India for a family gathering next month, observing that a mother alone does not possess exclusive rights over a child.
Earlier, the court had declined Dhawan’s plea on the ground that the child may miss classes at school and the get-together was not important enough to make him miss his studies.
Thereafter, the cricketer moved another application submitting that the get-together has been rescheduled to coincide with the school holidays of the child.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Again, it was opposed by Aesha arguing that the family function would be a ‘flop show’ as most of the extended family members were not consulted before fixing the date.
“The mother alone does not have rights over the child, why then is she opposing the petitioner meeting his own child when he is not a bad father,” Judge Harish Kumar of the family court at Delhi’s Patiala House Courts said.
The court clarified that the petitioner is not seeking permanent custody but simply wants to have his child here for a few days, saying ‘her unwillingness may not be justified.’
The court also noted that Shikhar’s family has not met the child since August 2020. Even if many did not show up for the function, the cricketer and his parents will have the “joy of having the company of their eye’s apple,” it said.
There are legal cases involving the couple in both India and Australia related to their divorce and custody of the minor child.
In the 14-page order, the judge observed that Dhawan has traveled to Australia for years to be with his son and has been a hands-on parent and affectionate father and it was also admitted by Aesha.
The court highlighted that the “blame for polluting the environment within the family has to be shared by both.”
“A dispute arises when one raises concerns and the other does not appreciate them or pay attention,” it said.
“Her objection on the expense might be justified and consequent objection might be alright but her unwillingness may not be justified. She has not been able to put forth what her fear is about the petitioner qua the child and why she approached the court in Australia to put him on the watch list. If the petitioner had intended to take the law in his own hands for taking the custody of the child, he would not have approached the court in India,” it added.
Last month, the court had pulled up Aesha for questioning the jurisdiction of the Indian court for dealing with the issue of bringing the child to India for attending the family function.
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Punjab Kings batter Shikhar Dhawan becomes first player to hit 700 fours in IPL’s history
By ANI
MUMBAI: Punjab Kings opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has become the first player to hit 700 fours in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Dhawan reached this feat during the last league stage match of IPL 2022, between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad, here at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The batter has now a total of 701 IPL fours to his name. He is followed by David Warner and Virat Kohli, with 577 and 576 fours, respectively.
Coming to the match, Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten knock of 49 runs helped PBKS chase the target of 158 in just 15.1 overs with five wickets in hand. Apart from him, Dhawan and Jitesh Sharma scored 39 and 19 respectively.
Earlier, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis achieved their respective three-wicket hauls and restricted SRH at 157/8. For SRH, Fazalhaq Farooqi bagged two wickets, while Jagadeesha Suchith and Washington Sundar settled for one wicket each.
With this win, PBKS ended their IPL 2022 campaign with a total of 14 points while SRH finished with 12 points.
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Punjab Kings batter Shikhar Dhawan becomes first player to hit 700 fours in IPL’s history
By ANI
MUMBAI: Punjab Kings opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has become the first player to hit 700 fours in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Dhawan reached this feat during the last league stage match of IPL 2022, between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad, here at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The batter has now a total of 701 IPL fours to his name. He is followed by David Warner and Virat Kohli, with 577 and 576 fours, respectively.
Coming to the match, Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten knock of 49 runs helped PBKS chase the target of 158 in just 15.1 overs with five wickets in hand. Apart from him, Dhawan and Jitesh Sharma scored 39 and 19 respectively.
Earlier, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis achieved their respective three-wicket hauls and restricted SRH at 157/8. For SRH, Fazalhaq Farooqi bagged two wickets, while Jagadeesha Suchith and Washington Sundar settled for one wicket each.
With this win, PBKS ended their IPL 2022 campaign with a total of 14 points while SRH finished with 12 points.
MUMBAI: Punjab Kings opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has become the first player to hit 700 fours in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Dhawan reached this feat during the last league stage match of IPL 2022, between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad, here at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The batter has now a total of 701 IPL fours to his name. He is followed by David Warner and Virat Kohli, with 577 and 576 fours, respectively.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Coming to the match, Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten knock of 49 runs helped PBKS chase the target of 158 in just 15.1 overs with five wickets in hand. Apart from him, Dhawan and Jitesh Sharma scored 39 and 19 respectively.
Earlier, Harpreet Brar and Nathan Ellis achieved their respective three-wicket hauls and restricted SRH at 157/8. For SRH, Fazalhaq Farooqi bagged two wickets, while Jagadeesha Suchith and Washington Sundar settled for one wicket each.
With this win, PBKS ended their IPL 2022 campaign with a total of 14 points while SRH finished with 12 points.
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Kagiso Rabada, Shikhar Dhawan lead Punjab Kings to 8-wicket win over Gujarat Titans
Express News Service
CHENNAI: Gujarat Titans have enjoyed chasing. Five matches. Five wins. Their middle-order (David Miller, Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia) averages 99.75, strikes at over 165, hits sixes in all areas against all bowlers and have been the side’s magic workers at the death under the lights.
But with qualification to the play-offs almost assured and a lot of spare games in the bank, Hardik Pandya wanted to test the battle-readiness of the franchise. So he became the first captain of the 2022 season to bat first in a night game.
Their opponents, Punjab Kings, would have killed to have been in such a state of mind. With their gung-ho approach in tatters after a series of largely underwhelming performances with both bat and ball, they needed a win to resuscitate their campaign.
Resuscitate they did with a commanding performance with bat and ball to pick up their fifth win of the season.
Considering the stakes, it was only apt that their bowlers belatedly came to the fore on a surface where scoring freely was proving to be a difficult proposition. That Gujarat managed to hit only two sixes was an indication of this. At one point of time during the first innings, even the ones and twos required the batters to improvise.
The passage of play, the six overs between the end of the powerplay and the start of the 13th over summed up the first 20 overs in a microcosm: 13 dots, 18 singles, 2 wickets and one boundary. In the end, they limped to 143/8, their worst score of the season so far. Curiously, it was also the second most economical bowling display by Punjab.
Chasing down 144 was never going to be a problem even if Jonny Bairstow, promoted to open the batting, perished cheaply. Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40 off 28) provided the initial thrust before Liam Livingstone finished it off with 6, 6, 6, 4, 2, 4 in the 16th over to win the game with four overs and eight wickets to spare.
Coming back to the Gujarat innings, the target would have been smaller if not for Sai Sudharsan’s gritty, unbeaten 65 off 50 balls. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of imagination but the Tamil Nadu man applied himself, dotted up even as wickets fell at the other end (he was 31 off 30 at one stage) before hitting out at the end. Sudharsan’s knock will please the management because No 3 has been a sticky spot for them. If the southpaw can showcase the same nous going forward, it will further enhance Gujarat’s chances of progressing in the tournament.
If the 20-year-old was the glue that held the innings together, Punjab’s Kagiso Rabada acted as the adhesive remover. The South African pacer is elite but not necessarily so in this format. He has frequently gone for plenty, especially at the death (economy of 9.38 at the death in IPL).
That aspect of his game was visible on Tuesday as well, Wriddhiman Saha, who plays the role of powerplay destroyer, took him for 20 runs (three fours and a six) off his first 10 deliveries. Then Rabada extracted additional bounce off the surface — a trait this surface had in abundance — to account for the ‘keeper. He then returned at the death to dismiss Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan off consecutive deliveries to derail the innings in some fashion.
If Punjab are to fashion an unlikely late season run to have a chance of making the playoffs, this version of Rabada has to lead from the front. He is their most experienced bowler but he has frequently been outbowled by the likes of Arshdeep Singh.
Brief Scores: Gujarat 143/8 in 20 overs (Sudharsan 65 n.o; Rabada 4/33) lost to Punjab 145/2 in 16 overs (Dhawan 62 n.o, Rajapaksa 40)
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Kagiso Rabada, Shikhar Dhawan lead Punjab Kings to 8-wicket win over Gujarat Titans
Express News Service
CHENNAI: Gujarat Titans have enjoyed chasing. Five matches. Five wins. Their middle-order (David Miller, Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia) averages 99.75, strikes at over 165, hits sixes in all areas against all bowlers and have been the side’s magic workers at the death under the lights.
But with qualification to the play-offs almost assured and a lot of spare games in the bank, Hardik Pandya wanted to test the battle-readiness of the franchise. So he became the first captain of the 2022 season to bat first in a night game.
Their opponents, Punjab Kings, would have killed to have been in such a state of mind. With their gung-ho approach in tatters after a series of largely underwhelming performances with both bat and ball, they needed a win to resuscitate their campaign.
Resuscitate they did with a commanding performance with bat and ball to pick up their fifth win of the season.
Considering the stakes, it was only apt that their bowlers belatedly came to the fore on a surface where scoring freely was proving to be a difficult proposition. That Gujarat managed to hit only two sixes was an indication of this. At one point of time during the first innings, even the ones and twos required the batters to improvise.
The passage of play, the six overs between the end of the powerplay and the start of the 13th over summed up the first 20 overs in a microcosm: 13 dots, 18 singles, 2 wickets and one boundary. In the end, they limped to 143/8, their worst score of the season so far. Curiously, it was also the second most economical bowling display by Punjab.
Chasing down 144 was never going to be a problem even if Jonny Bairstow, promoted to open the batting, perished cheaply. Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40 off 28) provided the initial thrust before Liam Livingstone finished it off with 6, 6, 6, 4, 2, 4 in the 16th over to win the game with four overs and eight wickets to spare.
Coming back to the Gujarat innings, the target would have been smaller if not for Sai Sudharsan’s gritty, unbeaten 65 off 50 balls. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of imagination but the Tamil Nadu man applied himself, dotted up even as wickets fell at the other end (he was 31 off 30 at one stage) before hitting out at the end. Sudharsan’s knock will please the management because No 3 has been a sticky spot for them. If the southpaw can showcase the same nous going forward, it will further enhance Gujarat’s chances of progressing in the tournament.
If the 20-year-old was the glue that held the innings together, Punjab’s Kagiso Rabada acted as the adhesive remover. The South African pacer is elite but not necessarily so in this format. He has frequently gone for plenty, especially at the death (economy of 9.38 at the death in IPL).
That aspect of his game was visible on Tuesday as well, Wriddhiman Saha, who plays the role of powerplay destroyer, took him for 20 runs (three fours and a six) off his first 10 deliveries. Then Rabada extracted additional bounce off the surface — a trait this surface had in abundance — to account for the ‘keeper. He then returned at the death to dismiss Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan off consecutive deliveries to derail the innings in some fashion.
If Punjab are to fashion an unlikely late season run to have a chance of making the playoffs, this version of Rabada has to lead from the front. He is their most experienced bowler but he has frequently been outbowled by the likes of Arshdeep Singh.
Brief Scores: Gujarat 143/8 in 20 overs (Sudharsan 65 n.o; Rabada 4/33) lost to Punjab 145/2 in 16 overs (Dhawan 62 n.o, Rajapaksa 40)
CHENNAI: Gujarat Titans have enjoyed chasing. Five matches. Five wins. Their middle-order (David Miller, Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia) averages 99.75, strikes at over 165, hits sixes in all areas against all bowlers and have been the side’s magic workers at the death under the lights.
But with qualification to the play-offs almost assured and a lot of spare games in the bank, Hardik Pandya wanted to test the battle-readiness of the franchise. So he became the first captain of the 2022 season to bat first in a night game.
Their opponents, Punjab Kings, would have killed to have been in such a state of mind. With their gung-ho approach in tatters after a series of largely underwhelming performances with both bat and ball, they needed a win to resuscitate their campaign.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Resuscitate they did with a commanding performance with bat and ball to pick up their fifth win of the season.
Considering the stakes, it was only apt that their bowlers belatedly came to the fore on a surface where scoring freely was proving to be a difficult proposition. That Gujarat managed to hit only two sixes was an indication of this. At one point of time during the first innings, even the ones and twos required the batters to improvise.
The passage of play, the six overs between the end of the powerplay and the start of the 13th over summed up the first 20 overs in a microcosm: 13 dots, 18 singles, 2 wickets and one boundary. In the end, they limped to 143/8, their worst score of the season so far. Curiously, it was also the second most economical bowling display by Punjab.
Chasing down 144 was never going to be a problem even if Jonny Bairstow, promoted to open the batting, perished cheaply. Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40 off 28) provided the initial thrust before Liam Livingstone finished it off with 6, 6, 6, 4, 2, 4 in the 16th over to win the game with four overs and eight wickets to spare.
Coming back to the Gujarat innings, the target would have been smaller if not for Sai Sudharsan’s gritty, unbeaten 65 off 50 balls. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of imagination but the Tamil Nadu man applied himself, dotted up even as wickets fell at the other end (he was 31 off 30 at one stage) before hitting out at the end. Sudharsan’s knock will please the management because No 3 has been a sticky spot for them. If the southpaw can showcase the same nous going forward, it will further enhance Gujarat’s chances of progressing in the tournament.
If the 20-year-old was the glue that held the innings together, Punjab’s Kagiso Rabada acted as the adhesive remover. The South African pacer is elite but not necessarily so in this format. He has frequently gone for plenty, especially at the death (economy of 9.38 at the death in IPL).
That aspect of his game was visible on Tuesday as well, Wriddhiman Saha, who plays the role of powerplay destroyer, took him for 20 runs (three fours and a six) off his first 10 deliveries. Then Rabada extracted additional bounce off the surface — a trait this surface had in abundance — to account for the ‘keeper. He then returned at the death to dismiss Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan off consecutive deliveries to derail the innings in some fashion.
If Punjab are to fashion an unlikely late season run to have a chance of making the playoffs, this version of Rabada has to lead from the front. He is their most experienced bowler but he has frequently been outbowled by the likes of Arshdeep Singh.
Brief Scores: Gujarat 143/8 in 20 overs (Sudharsan 65 n.o; Rabada 4/33) lost to Punjab 145/2 in 16 overs (Dhawan 62 n.o, Rajapaksa 40)
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How Shikhar Dhawan changed the batting strategy after debacle against Delhi Capitals
By IANS
MUMBAI: Punjab Kings seem to have learnt a lesson from their defeat in the previous game against Delhi Capitals on April 20, where their ultra-aggressive approach let them down big time.
On Monday, Shikhar Dhawan — who made just nine in the nine-wicket thrashing by DC — took his time to establish himself at the crease before unleashing a flurry of strokes as he ended up making a 59-ball 88, which proved decisive in the end and helped PBKS return with a vengeance to beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs.
The ultra-attacking approach in the previous game had been massively criticised as PBKS had folded up for 115, but on Monday, the put on an imposing 187 at the Wankhede.
Dhawan said he focused on the process after the debacle against DC, adding that staying calm early on proved decisive.
“The process, I always talk about it, I focus on it. About my fitness, my approach — I keep working on those skills. Results will take care of itself. The wicket was stopping a bit (like the previous game against DC), I tried to go for the big shots, but I couldn’t connect. But I kept my calm. Once I get set, I can get those boundaries; that’s what I bank on. While batting first, it’s about putting pressure on the bowlers and getting boundaries. We don’t have to lose too many wickets, that was our conscious effort,” said Dhawan.
He added about his interaction with the PBKS camp following the loss to DC. “I have become a senior in the team (laughs), I give a lot of input to the players and my captain, on the field. The youngsters think a lot, sometimes they overthink, so I try to communicate with them. I talk about the law of attraction and how to achieve big in life,” he said.
It was a big win for the Punjab Kings in terms of how important these two points were at this crucial stage in the tournament. The team will take on Lucknow Super Giants next on April 29.
Rabada opened up about the way PBKS began the game and later, the nerves in the bowling department. “In the powerplay, we were a bit behind the rate, but I must commend Shikhar and Mayank (Agarwal) the way they held their nerve, and then the way Shikhar and Bhanu (Bhanuka Rajapaksa) played was just unbelievable,” the South African pacer said.
He added, “They set the platform for our batters to come in and play freely and then Liam Livingstone came in and hit a few gentle strokes out of the park and that set us up nicely. We got ourselves a winning total and I thought each and every individual in our bowling attack put their hand up.”
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How Shikhar Dhawan changed the batting strategy after debacle against Delhi Capitals
By IANS
MUMBAI: Punjab Kings seem to have learnt a lesson from their defeat in the previous game against Delhi Capitals on April 20, where their ultra-aggressive approach let them down big time.
On Monday, Shikhar Dhawan — who made just nine in the nine-wicket thrashing by DC — took his time to establish himself at the crease before unleashing a flurry of strokes as he ended up making a 59-ball 88, which proved decisive in the end and helped PBKS return with a vengeance to beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs.
The ultra-attacking approach in the previous game had been massively criticised as PBKS had folded up for 115, but on Monday, the put on an imposing 187 at the Wankhede.
Dhawan said he focused on the process after the debacle against DC, adding that staying calm early on proved decisive.
“The process, I always talk about it, I focus on it. About my fitness, my approach — I keep working on those skills. Results will take care of itself. The wicket was stopping a bit (like the previous game against DC), I tried to go for the big shots, but I couldn’t connect. But I kept my calm. Once I get set, I can get those boundaries; that’s what I bank on. While batting first, it’s about putting pressure on the bowlers and getting boundaries. We don’t have to lose too many wickets, that was our conscious effort,” said Dhawan.
He added about his interaction with the PBKS camp following the loss to DC. “I have become a senior in the team (laughs), I give a lot of input to the players and my captain, on the field. The youngsters think a lot, sometimes they overthink, so I try to communicate with them. I talk about the law of attraction and how to achieve big in life,” he said.
It was a big win for the Punjab Kings in terms of how important these two points were at this crucial stage in the tournament. The team will take on Lucknow Super Giants next on April 29.
Rabada opened up about the way PBKS began the game and later, the nerves in the bowling department. “In the powerplay, we were a bit behind the rate, but I must commend Shikhar and Mayank (Agarwal) the way they held their nerve, and then the way Shikhar and Bhanu (Bhanuka Rajapaksa) played was just unbelievable,” the South African pacer said.
He added, “They set the platform for our batters to come in and play freely and then Liam Livingstone came in and hit a few gentle strokes out of the park and that set us up nicely. We got ourselves a winning total and I thought each and every individual in our bowling attack put their hand up.”
MUMBAI: Punjab Kings seem to have learnt a lesson from their defeat in the previous game against Delhi Capitals on April 20, where their ultra-aggressive approach let them down big time.
On Monday, Shikhar Dhawan — who made just nine in the nine-wicket thrashing by DC — took his time to establish himself at the crease before unleashing a flurry of strokes as he ended up making a 59-ball 88, which proved decisive in the end and helped PBKS return with a vengeance to beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs.
The ultra-attacking approach in the previous game had been massively criticised as PBKS had folded up for 115, but on Monday, the put on an imposing 187 at the Wankhede.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Dhawan said he focused on the process after the debacle against DC, adding that staying calm early on proved decisive.
“The process, I always talk about it, I focus on it. About my fitness, my approach — I keep working on those skills. Results will take care of itself. The wicket was stopping a bit (like the previous game against DC), I tried to go for the big shots, but I couldn’t connect. But I kept my calm. Once I get set, I can get those boundaries; that’s what I bank on. While batting first, it’s about putting pressure on the bowlers and getting boundaries. We don’t have to lose too many wickets, that was our conscious effort,” said Dhawan.
He added about his interaction with the PBKS camp following the loss to DC. “I have become a senior in the team (laughs), I give a lot of input to the players and my captain, on the field. The youngsters think a lot, sometimes they overthink, so I try to communicate with them. I talk about the law of attraction and how to achieve big in life,” he said.
It was a big win for the Punjab Kings in terms of how important these two points were at this crucial stage in the tournament. The team will take on Lucknow Super Giants next on April 29.
Rabada opened up about the way PBKS began the game and later, the nerves in the bowling department. “In the powerplay, we were a bit behind the rate, but I must commend Shikhar and Mayank (Agarwal) the way they held their nerve, and then the way Shikhar and Bhanu (Bhanuka Rajapaksa) played was just unbelievable,” the South African pacer said.
He added, “They set the platform for our batters to come in and play freely and then Liam Livingstone came in and hit a few gentle strokes out of the park and that set us up nicely. We got ourselves a winning total and I thought each and every individual in our bowling attack put their hand up.”
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Shreyas Iyer’s return will strengthen team, says Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan
By PTI
DUBAI: Delhi Capitals’ senior batsman Shikhar Dhawan on Sunday said the return of regular skipper Shreyas Iyer will strengthen the team further as it looks to resume its IPL campaign on a high note.
The 2021 IPL was suspended in May due to multiple COVID cases inside its bio-bubble and the second leg of the lucrative tournament will begin on September 19 in the UAE.
“We were in a certain flow in the first half of the season and then that flow was broken once the tournament was suspended,” Dhawan said in a release issued by the franchise.
“So we have to rebuild our energy and get back on the flow we were in. The good thing is that our team is well balanced and Shreyas Iyer is back in the side as well, so our team is even stronger now.”
Iyer had missed the first leg of the IPL after suffering a shoulder injury during the first ODI between India and England in March.
The 35-year-old Dhawan, who is currently the highest run-getter in the IPL 2021 season with 380 runs in eight matches, said the team is focussed on its first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“It’s great to be back. There’s a great environment within the team. All the boys are working very hard and I am looking forward to the IPL season. I am very excited to play the upcoming matches,” said the opener, who has scored 3 fifties in the season so far.
“It’s very important to start on a high note. We need to do well from the first match itself and therefore we are working very hard for our first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. We have to bring our hard work into effect during matches and produce great results.”
Delhi Capitals, the last year’s finalists, will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22.
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IPL preview: Can ‘Pant Power’ help DC overcome wily Rashid on slow Chepauk
By PTI
CHENNAI: Rishabh Pant’s brute power will be put to test against Rashid Khan’s bagful of tricks in an IPL encounter where Delhi Capitals will start as favourites against SunRisers Hyderabad due to their better bowling resources.The much-criticised Chepauk track will host its 10th and final IPL game of the season in which both Pant and his opposite number David Warner would pray for a decent surface for their flamboyant batters.
With only a couple of first innings total in excess of 170 across nine games here, the slow and gripping surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tests the skills of the batsmen in a different manner.
Possibly, it’s the ability to muscle the ball that will come in handy on this track and hence the DC skipper’s role as a batsman will become all the more important.
While Shikhar Dhawan is in good form and Prithvi Shaw in not so great touch after the first game, the willow-wielders, who depend on sheer timing compared to power may struggle.
In fact, Hyderabad, after playing all its four games in Chennai, has only now started to crack the code of a slow track, evident during the team’s comfortable victory over Punjab Kings after a hat-trick of defeats.
With Kane Williamson back in the mix, SunRisers seemed to have got a better balance in a set-up which is acutely short of quality India internationals.
With T Natarajan’s death bowling unavailable for this season and Manish Pandey only able to manage a strike-rate of 112 odd, bulk of the responsibility is on overseas recruits Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Williamson and Rashid.
The wily Afghan has again been very consistent and his duel with Pant could be one of the most eagerly-awaited match-ups that can send the TRPs soaring.
SRH’s weak link is certainly its bowling attack with none among Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul or all-rounder Vijay Shankar inspiring any sort of confidence whatsoever.
So DC will have 12 overs out of 20 on which they can feast upon if one takes away the eight bowled by Rashid and the seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
However, a bit of tweak in their XI also won’t be bad even though they had comfortably beaten Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring game here only a few days back.
One area of slight concern will be Ashwin’s form as he has been going at 8 runs per over in the past four games and only a single wicket to show for his efforts.
The Chepauk track could just give him some breathing space after mostly flat decks in Mumbai.
Similarly, Pant would also like to check out if Chris Woakes is a better option with his pace and also some all-round skills in place of Kagiso Rabada, who has been off colour till now.
Veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma, however cruel it may seem, are expected to warm the benches unless both Lalit Yadav and Avesh Khan sustain a last-minute niggle.
For SunRisers, how Trevor Bayliss and VVS Laxman set up the batting order will be important.
Kedar Jadhav is well past his prime but still could be way more effective than any of the youngsters, who haven’t delivered this season.
Teams (from): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.
Match Starts at 7:30 pm.