Shikhar Dhawan praises PBKS for their valiant effort against SRH. “I believe we kept them to a good total. Unfortunately, we were unable to cash in on the first six overs, which cost us the game,” Dhawan said.
The recent clash between Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 23rd game of the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2024 was nothing short of a wild ride. On Tuesday, April 9, both teams faced off at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
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SRH scored 182 runs in the first innings of the match
As the hosts came out to chase the total, they found themselves in trouble when the first three batters left during the powerplay.
Jonny Bairstow was dismissed for a duck, while Shikhar Dhawan scored 14 and Prabhsimran Singh contributed only four runs. However, it was the middle order’s tenacity that propelled Punjab within touching distance of victory.
Shashank Singh remained unbeaten with 46 runs in 25 deliveries, while Ashutosh Sharma scored 33* runs in 15 balls. Ashutosh scored 27 runs in the game’s final over, but he fell three runs short of the mark, and SRH won by two.
Following the match, skipper Shikhar Dhawan came forth to praise Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma for their gallant efforts with the bat in the second innings.
“Shashank and Ashutosh delivered excellent knocks.” I believe we kept them within reasonable limits. Unfortunately, we were unable to cash in on the first six overs, and thus lost the game. That stung us severely. The wicket did not provide much bounce, so everyone had to devise better strategies. Because we got out, we would naturally want to adjust our strokes,” Dhawan remarked at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Furthermore, Dhawan highlighted how Punjab failed to perform in the batting unit, and with players like Ashutosh and Shashank performing in the middle order, the top-order must also perform to the best of their abilities.
“Our batsmen underperformed. It is critical that the highest order succeeds. (On Ashutosh and Shashank) It’s encouraging to see these young people getting involved and contributing. We will recover from our loss. It was always possible that they would finish the game. Hats off to them for coming so close. It gives us more confidence and hope for the upcoming game. We need to improve in certain areas,” Dhawan stated.
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