Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan and power-hitter Sanju Samson showcased their batting exploits in the high-scoring thriller between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday. Playing a captain's knock for the 2008 winners in match No.8 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, superstar Samson top-scored for Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
Overshadowing Samson's blistering knock in the final-over thriller at Guwahati, senior batter Dhawan notched up his first half-century of IPL 2023 to seal a famous win for Punjab Kings. Leading the Punjab Kings franchise from the front, Dhawan played a sensational knock of 86 off 56 balls to earn plaudits from the cricket fraternity. Showering praise on the in-form batter, legendary Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has questioned the axing of seasoned campaigner Dhawan from Team India's white-ball squad.
"Shikhar has also led the Indian side in many tours but suddenly we saw that after the role of Shikhar was over he was sidelined as if he is not needed anymore. I felt bad on seeing this because the treatment for everyone should be the same. He is a big player and has given too much to Indian cricket," Harbhajan Singh shared his views on YouTube.
{{/usCountry}}"Shikhar has also led the Indian side in many tours but suddenly we saw that after the role of Shikhar was over he was sidelined as if he is not needed anymore. I felt bad on seeing this because the treatment for everyone should be the same. He is a big player and has given too much to Indian cricket," Harbhajan Singh shared his views on YouTube.
{{/usCountry}}Dhawan captained Team India in their parallel international tours last year. Thanks to the rapid rise of youngsters Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill, Dhawan was snubbed from the India squad following his string of poor knocks. The 37-year-old was dropped for the ODI series against Sri Lanka in January. However, Dhawan is keen on strengthening his selection case for the World Cup in the 2023 season of the IPL.
"You can not treat him like this. He played a good knock of 86 in 56 balls. I will not name anyone here. For instance, let's take Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, or KL Rahul who are big names. You gave them plenty of chances but on the other hand, there is no place for Shikhar Dhawan in the team now. He has always contributed for the team. Then why he is not getting a chance in the Indian team? Talking about fitness, he is as fit as Virat Kohli," Harbhajan added.
Rewriting history in the IPL 2023 on Wednesday, Dhawan became the second Indian batter to register 50 fifty-plus scores in the cash-rich league. Dhawan's sublime knock sealed Punjab's thrilling 5-run win over Rajasthan Royals. The out-of-favour Indian batter has amassed 6,369 runs in 208 IPL matches.