Punjab Kings will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) today at the Eden Gardens in the 42nd match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. They have lost their last four matches and in three of those, have missed their skipper Shikhar Dhawan who last played against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the two-run loss for the team on April 9. In the game, he sustained a shoulder injury and has been away from action since then.
Even though Dhawan has not had a great IPL 2024 yet, he is experienced and his presence in the middle was important for the Punjab Kings. With the team in the must-win scenario now, the veteran will be itching to make a comeback. But Dhawan will have to watch the match against KKR from the sidelines as PBKS bowling coach Sunil Joshi has ruled him out of the clash. According to him, the Kings' skipper will most probably return for the match against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
"Shikhar Dhawan was injured on the ground, we miss his batting services. He is on the road to recovery. We saw him batting at the nets. Hopefully, he is in the recovery process and will be fit for the next game," he said in the pre-match press conference. Punjab Kings are currently at the ninth place with only two wins in eight matches. Majority of their losses have come in the last over but Joshi insisted that the team is focusing on returning to winning ways now and find their way up in the points table.
"It's important to understand that any team will go through wins and losses. Our focus is to rise again. This is a short format of the game, where you might get hit for a six on the best ball or you get a wicket on a loose ball. It depends on how you prepare your body for the day of the game and how mentally relaxed you are. Every time you face the stress of performing, your body may not fire. You have to calm down and play one ball at a time," Sunil Joshi further said.
