At a ground he called home from 2013 to 2018 turning up for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Shikhar Dhawan was in the mood on Sunday. With the willow and the words.
Punjab Kings batter Shikhar Dhawan (PTI)
In a chat with Harsha Bhogle in the post-match ceremony as the player of the match—the first instance in a losing cause this season—Dhawan, in his own words, spun a googly. “I hope you’re happy with my strike rate, as you had tweeted something," he laughed.
That tweet, after Dhawan's unbeaten 86 off 56 from being 30 off 30 in Punjab's previous game against Rajasthan Royals (RR), raised the "question of whether you can have an anchor batter" in today’s T20 cricket.
As he showed in his 66-ball unbeaten 99 that took PBKS from 78/8 to a fighting 143/9 which although was chased, Dhawan operates best when he plays to the situation of the game in front of him rather than to a predetermined tag next to him.
“I didn’t expect that I’ll reach there (99 not out) at the end," Dhawan said. “I played according to the situation and at the same time kept going.”
Long questioned and sidelined from the Indian T20 setup for his tendency to take his time to get going, Dhawan’s overall IPL career strike rate hovers around the 120s. But he can also go at the high 140s, much like in the 2020 season playing for Delhi Capitals and the three matches this IPL so far.
He also began briskly in Hyderabad, gliding to 21 off 13. A wave of wickets at the other end however meant the lone-standing captain had to salvage his fast-sinking ship that even the early introduction of Impact Player couldn’t. And so he did, pulling back and then pushing on in an IPL record 55-run last-wicket stand. Dhawan ensured he not only faced all but two balls and scored 52 runs in it but also play out the 20 overs after losing his ninth partner at the end of the 14th. It was a rearguard action when his team desperately needed it.
Quite unlike on the belter in Guwahati against RR who were one hit away from hunting down 198. For more than half his innings, Dhawan went at run-a-ball, aided by his fellow opener Prabhsimran Singh's 34-ball 60 in a solid 90-run base that could've come much quicker than the halfway mark. But once Dhawan broke the shackles in a three-boundary 14th over off Yuzvendra Chahal, his volume and pace of runs rocketed in taking PBKS to 197/4, a winning total.
That was Dhawan playing the anchor, this was Dhawan playing the game as he saw it.
What overlaps in both instances is Dhawan batting deep and switching gears. The two skills are almost non-negotiable in an anchor role in T20s, failing which it can appear futile. Take, for example, Mayank Agarwal's 20-ball 21 before his dismissal in the 9th over left SRH in a spot of bother on Monday. Or David Warner's 55-ball 65 that did little to ignite any spark in the Delhi Capitals chase against RR on Saturday.
That's where Dhawan, in scoring 225 runs so far from three matches that puts him on course to become the first player ever to score 400 or more runs across 10 IPL seasons, stands out in his consistent run-making ability. That's where Dhawan, in a PBKS batting lineup filled with hard-hitters who can blow hot and cold on a given day, stands out as their best batter with plenty of experience and match awareness.
Asked about his recent calmness that reflects as much in his batting as in his personality, Dhawan went philosophical. “When the water is still, you can see through it," he said. “It’s better to be still and read the game.”
Like he did on Sunday. Even after losing two wickets in the first two overs, Dhawan hunted for boundaries, countering the swing by advancing down the track while also attacking T Natarajan after the powerplay. Once Sam Curran took over the hitting, Dhawan held back a touch in the only substantial partnership until the last. And when all looked lost for PBKS and a respectable total at 88/9, Dhawan hogged the strike and unleashed his strokes—a powerful pull off Umran Malik for six, a cheeky reverse lap four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a sublime last-ball low full toss sweep six off Natarajan.
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