Shikhar Dhawan replaces Mayank Agarwal as Punjab Kings' new captain for IPL 2023
Shikhar Dhawan is all set to replace Mayank Agarwal as Punjab Kings' new captain in IPL 2023, the Punjab-based franchise has confirmed on Wednesday.
Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has been confirmed as the new captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise for the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Wednesday. Dhawan, who is not a part of the Indian T20 World Cup 2022 squad, will replace opener Mayank Agarwal as the leader of the Punjab-based franchise in the 2023 edition of the cash-rich league.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the Punjab Kings confirmed the appointment of the senior opener for IPL 2023. “Gabbar will be at the Shikhar for Punjab Kings! #SherSquad, welcome your Skipper, Jatt ji! #ShikharDhawan #CaptainGabbar #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings @SDhawan25," the franchise captioned their post on the microblogging site.
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Earlier, Indian opener Agarwal was appointed as the captain of the Punjab-based franchise before the start of the IPL 2022. Punjab Kings had retained star player Agarwal and pacer Arshdeep Singh in the lead-up to the mega auction for season 2023. Dhawan, who enjoyed blockbuster success at Delhi Capitals (DC), was released by the Rishabh Pant-led side ahead of IPL 2022. Dhawan amassed 618 runs at a strike rate of almost 145 for DC in the IPL 2020. The veteran Indian opener was roped in by Punjab Kings for a whopping sum of INR 8.25 crore at the mega auction.
The stand-in skipper of Team India accumulated 460 runs in 14 matches in his debut season for Punjab Kings at the IPL 2022. One of the finest left-handed batters in white-ball cricket, Dhawan has played 161 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 68 T20Is for Team India. Dhawan is the second-highest run-getter in the history of IPL. The former DC opener has amassed 5,881 runs in 162 IPL matches. Dhawan has also smashed the most fours (701) in the cash-rich league. The 36-year-old will lead the Indian team against New Zealand for the upcoming ODI series, starting November 25.
