Strategy to play extra bowler backfired: PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan after loss against LSG

Mohali (Punjab) [India], April 29 (ANI): Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan explained that his plan to play with an extra bowler was one of the major reasons for their 56-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

Punjab Kings decided to bowl first with seven bowling options at their disposal. But in the end, they ended up conceding 257/5 runs. Punjab had several pace bowlers but they missed a spinner.
“We gave away too many runs. I felt that it (ball) didn’t come on quickly to the bat and it went straight to the fielder (on his dismissal). I felt my strategy to play with the extra bowler backfired. We missed a spinner today. It’s a learning for me. Livi (Livingstone) and even Sam (Curran) were there, so we couldn’t send him (SRK) ahead,” Shikhar Dhawan said after the match.

Despite giving a strong chase and scoring at a healthy rate, Punjab played catch-up for the better part of their innings and eventually folded for 201, succumbing to the pressure of having to go at almost 13 runs per over.

Explosive Englishman Liam Livingstone’s (36 off 22) and Sikandar Raza’s (23 off 14) weren’t enough to give the hosts a real shot at the target. While young Atharava Taide scored a swashbuckling 66 off 36 balls, his first fifty-plus score in IPL, his late dash for the target wasn’t enough for the Punjab franchise to go over the finish line.

PBKS were bundled out in the 20th over of the game, with Yash Thakur scalping the last wicket of Shahrukh Khan. The PBKS innings eventually closed at 201 in 19.5 overs.

Punjab Kings will face Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.