Aakash Chopra, former Indian cricketer and now commentator, has slammed Punjab Kings’ batting order, stating that the team is overly reliant on Shikhar Dhawan’s performance. Dhawan currently leads the Orange Cap leaderboard with 233 runs in four matches in IPL 2023, which is over a third of all the runs scored by his team this season. However, when Dhawan was dismissed for 8 in the recent match against Gujarat Titans (GT), PBKS could only score 153 on a pitch that was batting-friendly. GT easily chased down the target with six wickets to spare.
During a review of the match on his YouTube channel, Chopra emphasized that Punjab’s overdependence on Dhawan’s batting form was their downfall. “We all said that the pitch was absolutely flat and a lot of runs would be scored, but they weren’t because Punjab’s overdependence on one man is just too much. If Shikhar Dhawan gets out, this team goes down,” he said.
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Furthermore, Chopra criticized PBKS’ batting order for not capitalizing on the big starts they got. PBKS played an incredible 56 dot balls in their innings, leading to Dhawan’s displeasure. The team started the tournament with two consecutive wins but have since slipped down the table with two losses, with their batting being a significant factor in these recent defeats.
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Dhawan’s early dismissal against Gujarat resulted in PBKS getting a below-par score. After the game, the captain stated that his team did not put enough runs on the board and blamed the high number of dot balls. The team will be hoping to turn their fortunes around when they face Lucknow Super Giants on April 15.
Chopra’s assessment of PBKS’ batting order highlights the importance of having a balanced team with multiple players stepping up to the plate. A team’s overreliance on one player could be detrimental, as witnessed in PBKS’ recent match. However, with Dhawan’s impressive form, PBKS will look to rectify their mistakes and improve their performance as the tournament progresses.