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Some good news rolled in for Punjab Kings' (PBKS) fans as their spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi has confirmed that Shikhar Dhawan is on the road to recovery from his shoulder injury. This means the left-handed batsman is expected to be back leading the team in their final three league matches.
Dhawan had a decent start to the season, scoring 152 runs in five matches before the injury sidelined him. His last appearance was against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9. While Dhawan will still miss the upcoming clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, May 5, Joshi offered a sigh of relief for fans. He indicated that Dhawan is likely to be fit and available for the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday. Notably, in Dhawan's absence stand-in skipper Sam Curran has been leading the PBKS pack.
PBKS' bowling coach reveals Shikhar Dhawan's return date
"Dhawan's rehabilitation is on track. He is doing well. He is not available for the next game. Hopefully, he will be back for the final two games," Joshi said in the pre-match press conference.
"Shikhar was also injured last year. He was playing well but Sam had to come up as captain because of his injury. Sam has come up as a leader yet again and he has stepped up with the team," he added.
Riding high on two consecutive wins, Punjab Kings are set for a rematch against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this Sunday. This exciting encounter will be the first IPL match of the season held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
"The ground in Dharamsala is one of the best grounds in cricketing countries because of the location and the surface we get to play here. It's a fantastic ground," Joshi further stated.
Following their record-breaking chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders and a dominant win over CSK while chasing 163, Joshi indicated that PBKS might stick to the same winning combination for the upcoming match. This suggests continuity and confidence within the team as they look to build on their recent success.
"No, we do not think we will be making any changes. Because we want to keep up the winning squad," Joshi said.
With the competition heating up and every team vying for IPL 2024's playoff spot, Sunil Joshi, the spin bowling coach, revealed PBKS' strategy. He stressed that the team's primary focus is on delivering strong performances, rather than getting caught up in the complexities of the points table. This approach suggests that PBKS is prioritizing their own game plan and trusting their abilities to secure the desired results.
"The team conversations that we have had, our approach is to put in the best effort and to play to win the game. The table calculations will come on it's own. We do not see that part very closely. What we look at is what are the areas we can do better, what we have not done over the past few games, what best we can do and how we can improve as a team. That is the conversation we have with the players.. Our plan of action is to keep winning. The challenge is always with the bat and ball. It's a good surface. I keep telling players to hold their horses and execute their skill," Joshi concluded.
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