Shikhar Dhawan
Runs are flowing from Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan's bat at a canter for the past four games as the left-handed Indian batsman scored his third IPL 2020 fifty of the season against Kings XI Punjab in Dubai on Tuesday.
However, the moment he reached the score of 62, called for a bigger celebration as he joined the elite 5000-run IPL club. The southpaw took 169 matches to reach the mark and is fourth Indian and fifth overall to breach the mark behind David Warner in (5000+ in 135 matches), Virat Kohli (5759 in 186 matches), Suresh Raina (5468 in 183 matches) and Rohit Sharma (5149 in 196 matches) to get to 5000 runs in the IPL.
Dhawan surpassed the mark in style as he shot Ravi Bishnoi for a six in the 13th over to celebrate his 5000 runs. He earlier scored a match-winning 101 against Chennai Super Kings to star in team's win while chasing 180 as Axar Patel finished off the game with three sixes in the final over.
And on Tuesday as he approaches his second century in IPL, the 34-year-old Delhi batsman took 28 balls to reach his 50 and shot nine boundaries and two sixes by the time he reached 68 in the 14th over.
Earlier batting first after winning the toss, Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw woeful performance continued with just 7 runs to his name as Jimmy Neesham got him caught at extra cover. The right-handed opener has scored just 11 runs in the last four games including two ducks.
In-form Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Shreyas Iyer steered the Delhi Capitals innings after the early setback, taking Capitals past 50 in the powerplay.
