Despite a shaky start, Shikhar Dhawan’s valiant effort as the one-man-army helped Punjab Kings reach a respectable total of 143/9 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday. After being put to bat first by SRH, PBKS lost their opener Prabhsimran on the very first ball of the innings after being trapped leg-before-wicket by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Shikhar Dhawan’s knock –
Shikhar Dhawan today __ pic.twitter.com/82SanbsGOd
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 9, 2023
Ex SRH players Performances Today
Shankar anna 63*(24)
Rashid Khan hatrick Wickets
Shikhar Dhawan 99*(66) against SRH pic.twitter.com/onpNsdRTZR
— Remo Mama (@RemoMowa) April 9, 2023
Unlucky Shikhar Dhawan remain 99 not out _#SRHvsPBKShttps://t.co/2S70iRhThg
— Sexy Cricket Shots (@sexycricketshot) April 9, 2023
#ShikharDhawan entering BCCI asking back for his opener spot #SRHvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/vefLEXrDiA
— Anurag Dwivedi _ (@AnuragxCricket) April 9, 2023
*World Cup comes closer*
Shikhar Dhawan’s form: pic.twitter.com/AayYoKurEk
— Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) April 5, 2023
Shikhar Dhawan trolling Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers with unorthodox shots. #RRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/4PIb481Fvj
— Anurag Dwivedi _ (@AnuragxCricket) April 5, 2023
Ek aur _______ ki ore badhte hue ______ _
Shikhar Dhawan’s 50 makes him the _scoring batter of #TATAIPL2023 _
Keep watching #SRHvPBKS – LIVE & FREE on #JioCinema across all telecom operators _#IPLonJioCinema #IPL2023 #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/kXyy1jPpMb
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 9, 2023
Shikhar Dhawan meeting with BCCI officials after today’s match. #SRHvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/YrnroPMkWn
— Ritvik (@kohli_fanatic) April 9, 2023
Shikhar Dhawan entering dressing room after playing captaincy knock _#ShikharDhawan #PBKSvSRH pic.twitter.com/Xpeuqu9VRx
— Ashutosh Srivastava __ (@sri_ashutosh08) April 9, 2023
Shikhar Dhawan finding single Handedly today. pic.twitter.com/WPMXSZfqIG
— yaarivanu_unknownu (@memesmaadonu) April 9, 2023
Shikhar Dhawan today:pic.twitter.com/YjdapNyyNw
— Ana de Armas stan (@abhithecomic) April 9, 2023
On the same day:
Vijay Shankar – 63*(24)
Rashid Khan – Gamechanging Hatrick Wickets
Shikhar Dhawan – 99*(66) Against SRH#IPL2023pic.twitter.com/Q3beZTfYuG
— Johnnie Walker (@roopezh) April 9, 2023
Shikhar Dhawan To BCCI –#SRHvsPBKS #ShikharDhawan #rinkusingh #KKRvsGT pic.twitter.com/59GhSAgeQd
— Mahabali Bandya Ji _ (@MahabaliBandya) April 9, 2023
“Shikhar Dhawan in prime form during an ICC event year”
Indians: pic.twitter.com/Rl7v7Z9ymq
— Hemant (@Sportscasmm) April 9, 2023
Rinku Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruthuraj Gaikwad and Vijay Shankar at BCCI headquarters. pic.twitter.com/PsxIKIuhP8
— Shelby Yadav (@Meme_Canteen) April 9, 2023
The middle-order of PBKS faltered as Matthew Short and Jitesh Sharma were dismissed early, leaving them struggling at 22/3 in 3.5 overs. However, skipper Dhawan and Sam Curran steadied the innings and helped PBKS reach 41/3 at the end of six overs. They managed to cross the 50-run mark in 7.1 overs, but the partnership between Dhawan and Curran ended when Mayank Markande dismissed Curran for 22 runs. PBKS were then reduced to 69/5 in 9.5 overs, as Umran Malik dismissed Sikandar Raza. Markande and Malik continued to cause trouble for PBKS, as Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, and Rahul Chahar fell quickly, leaving PBKS struggling at 78/8 in 12.5 overs. Markande finished with his best bowling spell in the IPL, taking 4/15 in his four overs.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Dhawan continued to fight for his team, smashing Umran for 17 runs in the 18th over, including two sixes and a four. He brought up his 49th IPL half-century and hit Natrajan for two successive sixes as PBKS reached the 100-run mark in 15.5 overs. Dhawan’s impressive knock of 99 runs off 66 balls, which included 12 fours and 5 sixes, ensured that PBKS reached a respectable total of 143/9 in their 20 overs.
In response, SRH put up a clinical performance with the bat, as David Warner and Jonny Bairstow’s opening partnership of 73 runs set the tone for their victory. Warner scored 37 runs off 37 balls, while Bairstow remained unbeaten at 63 off 56 balls. SRH reached the target with 17 balls to spare and won the match by 8 wickets. Dhawan’s knock may have been in vain, but it was a reminder of his immense talent and the kind of impact he can have on a game.
Brief Scores: PBKS: 143/9 (Shikhar Dhawan 99*, Sam Curran 22, Mayank Markande 4/15) vs SRH.
