Shikhar Dhawan and company’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a forgettable season in the Indian Premier League 2024, finishing ninth overall. Punjab Kings, the 2014 edition’s finalists, were defeated by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 60 runs in Dharamsala, guaranteeing their early elimination from the IPL 2024 playoffs. Following the injury that sidelined captain Dhawan during the league stage of the lucrative competition, PBKS was unable to stop their downward trend.
On April 9, opener Dhawan was injured in his shoulder while playing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the previous champions. England all-rounder Sam Curran took over as the team’s captain in place of Dhawan, leading the Punjab-based team. For the duration of IPL 2024, Curran and Jitesh Sharma led the team without Dhawan. Veteran Indian opener Dhawan only made five appearances for the Punjab Kings in the 2024 season, capping an unimpressive year.
“Through a transition,” Dhawan talks candidly about Retiring
Dhawan discussed retirement talks and gave his reflections on his IPL career in an interview with ANI. The veteran hitter acknowledged that he was going through a change in his game. “A new chapter in my life will begin, and I am also going through a change, Jahan Meri Cricket Vishram Pe Aayegi. You can’t play until you reach a specific age. For me, it may be xyz, two years more, or one year longer,” Dhawan said.
‘Unfortunately, I got injured this IPL season and…’
After an outstanding IPL season with Delhi Capitals (DC), Dhawan joined Punjab Kings. The Punjab Kings signed the former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) player for INR 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 auction. The seasoned player finished the 2022 season with the most runs scored by a PBKS hitter with 460. But in the 2023 season, Dhawan’s form declined as the PBKS opener scored 373 runs in 11 games. Sadly, I had an injury during the IPL season that prevented me from playing for Punjab for all but four or five games. Recuperation takes time. I’m still recovering. I’m still not fully healed,” Dhawan continued. In IPL history, the 38-year-old is the second-highest run scorer. Dhawan has played in 222 IPL games and scored 6,769 runs.
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