Batter is a big hit, but captaincy takes a break on the bat, will the 9-year drought end this time?

New Delhi. The second match of IPL 2023 will be played between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali. The performance of Punjab and Kolkata in IPL 2022 was similar. Where the Punjab team was at the sixth position, KKR was at the seventh position. In this season, both the teams will enter the field with new captains. The command of Punjab Kings is in the hands of Shikhar Dhawan. At the same time, Kolkata Knight Riders will be captained by Nitish Rana.

Punjab Kings have not reached the playoffs of IPL since 2014. This time the team will have high hopes from Shikhar Dhawan. This season is also important for Dhawan. The way of his return to Team India will pass only through IPL. In such a situation, he himself will try to perform better as a captain and batsman in this season.

Dhawan is second in terms of scoring runs in IPL
By the way, as a batsman, Dhawan’s record in IPL is unmatched. He is the second batsman to score the most runs in IPL after Virat Kohli (6624). Dhawan has played 206 matches so far. In this he has scored 6244 runs. Most fours in IPL have also come out of Dhawan’s bat. That means there is no break for Dhawan as a batsman. But, his bat does not speak in the captaincy.

Shikhar Dhawan has not scored a half-century in the 11 matches played as captain in IPL. But, his record as a batsman is strong. He is the only batsman to score 450+ runs in seven consecutive seasons.

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Dual responsibility on Dhawan’s shoulders
In such a situation, Dhawan has a double responsibility on his shoulders in IPL 2023. One is to improve his performance in the league as a captain. Second, ending the drought of Punjab Kings reaching the playoffs for 9 years. To do this, Punjab Kings have an army of strong players. Punjab bought Sam Karen, the most expensive player in IPL history in the IPL 2023 auction. At the same time, the team is also full of power hitters. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see how the team under the leadership of Dhawan performs this time.

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Tags: IPL 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, shikhar dhawan