For the last 17 years, the Indian summer has been exciting because of the thrilling T20 excitement. Since the time the Indian Premier League started, T20 cricket has been hyped differently. The tournament is now witnessing its 17th season. In the auction of the previous year, all the teams made their required squad. Among all the teams, the Punjab Kings’ captaincy dilemma caught our eye. After Dhawan was sidelined due to injury, English player Sam Curran is leading the team. But he is all set to fly back to home for the T20 World Cup preparation. PBKS badly needs a leader. In that season, a buzz is growing that, they are lacking in captaincy. In this article, we will discuss whether they should opt for a new skipper for the upcoming IPL season.
Captaincy Dilemma and Dhawan’s Injury Setback:
Since the first season of the tournament, the franchise Punjab Kings (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab) fought with their captaincy concern. Starting from Yuvraj Singh to Kumar Sangakkara, Ravichandran Aswin, KL Rahul and now Shikhar Dhawan, they opted for different captains at different times. But their headache about that crucial issue still remained a concern.
After Mayank Agarwal led the team in the 2021-22 season, Shikhar Dhawan took charge of the 2022 IPL. After that, he is leading the team in this tournament. But in this season of the tournament, he faced a setback and was suddenly sidelined from the team. Shikhar Dhawan sustained a shoulder injury while fielding in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9th. Initially, it was thought that he might only be out for a few days, but the recovery process has extended far longer. Despite initial estimations of a week to ten days, Dhawan has now been sidelined from cricket for one month. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that he will be able to return in time for the last match.
Sam Curran Took Charge in Dhawan’s Absence:
Since the beginning of the IPL 2024, Punjab Kings was shattered while performing on the big stage. They lost some of their almost-win games. In that situation, Shikhar Dhawan was sidelined by an injury. Standing on that point, the Punjab Kings needed a captain. In Dhawan’s absence, Sam Curran was declared as the captain. Many questions were raised but Curran led the team and registered some convincing victories.
The young England all-round was handed over the captaincy in turmoil. Punjab Kings started giving shattered performances even before reaching the middle of the tournament. They faced back-to-back setbacks. After Curran took the charge, they got a hope. In the last match, they defeated Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets. That was an incredible performance.
But their captaincy dilemma stayed with them. The T20 World Cup is knocking on the door. Before that, all the players of England are flying back to their country. Punjab Kings has one more match to play this season. Shikhar Dhawan has no chance to come back and Sam Curran will also be unavailable. That has become a big concern.
Should They Opt for a New Captain in the Next Season?
Before stepping into the IPL 2025, a mega auction will take place. A lot of variables will be there and a lot of significant changes can happen. Among all, Punjab Kings have a big concern regarding their captaincy. Since the beginning of the tournament, that has become a headache. To make a new set up their first thought should be to reshape the captaincy post.
Shikhar Dhawan is already 38 years old. In the next year, he will turn 39. Though age is not a matter his injuries are major concerns that can not be ignored. Even if he plays for the franchise, the management could opt for a new captain. The wicketkeeper batter Jitesh Sharma is the vice-captain. He can be an option for the post.
A few years ago, another franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad was struggling with the captaincy concern. In the IPL 2023 auction, they purchased Pat Cummins and their performance can be witnessed in front of the eyes. If Punjab Kings want to flip their fortune, they need to look after the captaincy position with more attention. They have classy players, and match-winners already. Now with a leader, they will rock the tournament in the upcoming season.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram
