Shikhar Dhawan's Punjab Kings (PBKS) will hope to return to winning ways in their upcoming match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Thursday. The Punjab-based franchise was outplayed by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a match where veteran opener Dhawan played a captain's knock. Playing one of the finest knocks in the history of the cash-rich league, Dhawan remained unbeaten on 99 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the low-scoring encounter at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Though Dhawan's batting masterclass failed to inspire the Punjab giants in the IPL 2023, the senior batter was thoroughly praised by several luminaries of the game. Lauding Dhawan for his batting exploits in the IPL 2023, former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif acknowledged the PBKS skipper as the real boss of the cash-rich league. Speaking to Star Sports in the lead-up to GT's match against PBKS in the IPL 2023, Kaif hailed Dhawan as the 'Khalifa of the IPL'.
"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," said Kaif, who played 29 matches in the cash-rich league.
{{/usCountry}}"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," said Kaif, who played 29 matches in the cash-rich league.
{{/usCountry}}Former Australian batter David Hussey also lavished praise on the former Delhi Capitals (DC) and SRH opener. "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," the ex-Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star said.
Under the leadership of superstar Dhawan, PBKS have won two matches and suffered 1 defeat in 3 matches at the IPL 2023. Punjab Kings are placed sixth on the IPL 2023 points with four points from 3 matches. The veteran India batter is the leading run-getter in the 2023 edition of the world's richest T20 league. Dhawan has amassed 225 runs from 3 matches this season.