Former India batter Mohammad Kafi heaped huge praise on Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan and called him the Khalifa of IPL. Dhawan, who has been out of the Indian team, has been in incredible form in the ongoing season of IPL as he currently holds the Orange Cap with 225 runs in three matches including two half-centuries. Dhawan has led his team from the front as Punjab Kings have won two out of three matches so far.
In their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhawan impressed many with his unbeaten 99-run knock which was hailed as one of the best knocks in IPL history. He fought a lone battle for his team with the bat as the other players failed to put up a fight when Aiden Markram opted to bowl first. Dhawan smashed a six on the last ball of the innings to take them to a challenging total – 143/9, however, PBKS bowlers failed to defend it.
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Kafi said that Punjab have a good bowling unit and can qualify for the playoffs if Dhawan continues to lead from the front with his batting performances.
“Punjab Kings’ bowling is good. The team that has a good bowling unit has a better chance of finishing in the top four in the IPL. Shikhar Dhawan is the Khalifa of IPL. He is in form and leading his team by example. These conditions have further boosted the chances of his team going a long way this season,” Kaif said on Star Sports.
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Meanwhile, former Australia cricketer David Hussey also talked highly of Dhawan and said that the PBKS strategy this season is to bat around their skipper.
“Punjab Kings’ strategy looks simple in IPL i.e. to bat around Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan has paced his innings brilliantly in the tournament, he’s a world-class batter,” Hussey said on Star Sports.
Punjab Kings Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Nathan Ellis, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Prabhsimran Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, M Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Singh, Matthew Short, Sikandar Raza, Atharva Taide.
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