20 April,2023 07:57 AM IST | Mohali | PTI
RCB’s Virat Kohli during a training session at Mohali yesterday
Punjab Kings (PBKS) would be sweating over skipper Shikhar Dhawan's injury at a time when they need all their firepower against an extremely tough but luckless Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in an IPL match here on Thursday.
Dhawan, 37, who is one of the bright spots in the PBKS team, was ruled out against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last Saturday in Lucknow due to a shoulder injury and England all-rounder Sam Curran marshalled the side during their two-wicket win at the Ekana Stadium.
There were several unlikely heroes, who put their hands up in the game, with 36-year-old Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza emerging the leading run-getter for the side with a polished 57, while Matthew Short, Harpreet Singh and Tamil Nadu cricketer M Shahrukh Khan guided the team to the finish line.
Shikhar Dhawan
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But, RCB are a much bigger threat on paper than LSG, and Curran would know he too will need to come to the party with the bat if they are to defeat Faf du Plessis' side and earn two points at home.
PBKS' top order looks solid when Dhawan is around, but with a question mark over his fitness, his opening partner Prabhsimran Singh will have to play sensibly and also hope his partner plays a responsible knock, which was missing against LSG.
Also Read: IPL 2023: Lacklustre Sunrisers Hyderabad eye elusive win over high-flying Punjab Kings
PBKS' bowling, though, has stood the sternest of tests this season with their two left-armers - Arshdeep Singh and Curran - at the forefront, while South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has only added to the potency.
In contrast, RCB have been unlucky when it comes to eking out wins. With skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli opening the innings, they perhaps have the best opening pair in the tournament, barring, of course, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler for Rajasthan Royals.
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