At 37, Shikhar Dhawan Still Has Lots to Offer Punjab and IPL

image-lg4uas8uDhawan plays a shot during the game against RR [AP Photos]

Back in the 2022 edition of the IPL, the arrival of brand new franchises in Lucknow Supergiants and Gujarat Titans was not the only major draw in a tournament of epic proportions. 

It was surely massive news, but was it the only one?

Among the big developments on the cricket turf that fetched long draws of reception was what transpired on April 25, 2022. 

Whilst batting in a major contest against the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab King’s Shikhar Dhawan crossed the 6000-run mark in the Indian Premier League. 

In what could only be called a kingly feat, Dhawan notched up his 6000th IPL run while playing what was his 200th game. 

A fine achievement you felt for a fine player who doesn’t always own the major headlines. 

But what was rather impressive was that by striking those many runs, he’d only become the second ever player in the history of India’s elite T20 tournament to do so; the first being King Kohli. 

A year from that dizzying day, it appears as though the milestone count hasn’t stopped for Shikhar Dhawan. 

A few hours ago, in his team’s victorious game against the Rajathan Royals who all but snatched the game from the grasp of the Punjab Kings, Shikhar Dhawan’s smiling face donned new headlines. 

This time for scoring his 50th fifty plus knock in the Indian Premier League. 

What had begun as a slow, even cautious to the point of being faulty knock, ultimately yielded 86 unbeaten runs. 

Batting with the idea to go the long way and carry his bat through, Shikhar Dhawan first appeared slow and later, fluent as he went about hunting the Rajasthan bowlers down. 

In the end, there wasn’t much of a Royal factor left about them. 

Being particularly severe to a bowler of Yuzi Chahal’s class, the left hander was whipping him. 

On one occasion, he gently strode down the wicket in picking a ball pitched well outside off to send it several rows back over long on. 

That was vintage Shikhar Dhawan. A classy blow from a man who has no full stops in his craft. 

When the fine leg fielder was brought up into the circle, Dhawan would visit the on side and frame more fours. 

Though, on the whole, what meant more to Dhawan, the batsman and captain, you could argue was that one dominant score came at the back of another. 

How so?

Previously, a finely constructed 40 came against the Kolkata Knight Riders, the old rivals of Punjab. 

And on both occasions, Dhawan emerged on the right side of the result. 

But here’s what the intrepid fan must factor in albeit with an element of plausibility. 

Dhawan at 37 isn’t what he was back in the crowing glory of the 2013 or 2015 days. Even though the underlying mantra of the IPL especially for the batters is to go all bang bang, he may and will certainly not score in every game. 

Even the greats like Kohli don’t do that nowadays. 

The warmth and comfort of holding on to an end whilst pacing the inning with a Prabhsimran taunting the white ball from the other won’t be an everyday sight. 

Which is what brings us to probe what Shikhar Dhawan, the batting mainstay, unquestionable marksman and wearer of the effervescent smile must do in what lies ahead. 

What’s his role- is to target the rows back in the stadia or hold company to the real accelerator at the other end- is what the captain of Punjab Kings ought to find. 

Now that the blazing record breaker has found form and quite early on in the tournament, one suspects that it won’t be such a hard find for the owner of the proud moustache.