On Monday, Punjab Kings won the match against the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, at the Wankhede Stadium. The match went to the very last over, and eventually it was PBKS that won the match by 11 runs and got two vital points on the table. The veteran opening batsman, Shikhar Dhawan, played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 88 off 59 balls, including nine fours and two maximums. He also become the eighth player to play 200th IPL match on Monday.
He was also adjudged “Man of the Match” for his knock, and he became only the second batsman, after Virat Kohli, to complete 6000 IPL runs in the history of the tournament. The Southpaw is also now the third Indian after Virat and Rohit to complete 9,000 T20 runs. Dhawna is also now the only batter to complete 1000 IPL runs against CSK. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes that the southpaw also deserves praise like Kohli and Rohit.
Shastri was also impressed with the way the 36-year-old addressed the post-match presentation, where he said that now he is looking to help the young players who try to “overthink sometimes.” During the interaction with Star Sports, the former head coach said that Dhawan is now aware of every match situation. He added that the southpaw is now reading the pitch well, knowing his role, his shot-selection, and playing well.
Shastri added that Dhawan is adapting to the situation very well and that makes him a gun player in the country. He also stated that in India, everyone accolades Virat and Rohit, but the 36-year-old is right up there and also deserves praise. He concluded, “He has started advising youngsters now.. and I know Shikhi…he might be calling them and playing the flute.. I hope he plays the flute for a long time.”
Notably, Rohit and Virat are struggling with their form this season. On the other hand, Dhawan is now the third leading run-scorer in the competition. He has scored 302 runs in eight matches at an average of 43.12, including two half-centuries.
Notably, Rohit and Virat are struggling with their form this season. On the other hand, Dhawan is now the third leading run-scorer in the competition. He has scored 302 runs in eight matches at an average of 43.12, including two half-centuries. The 36-year-old spoke to Star Sports after the match. He said that he is looking to give more time to his fitness and approach. He said, “The process, I always talk about it, I focus on it.. about my fitness, my approach. I keep working on those skills.”
The veteran opener said that he believed that the result would come by itself. He also spoke about the pitch. Dhawan said that it was stopping a bit and was trying for a big hit but was unable to connect. The 36-year-old added that he was calm and that once he was set, he knew that he could get the boundaries. He concluded, “While batting first, it’s about putting pressure on the bowers. We don’t have to lose to many wickets. That was our conscious effort.”
