The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 has all been about runaway – the runaway successes of a few batters and equally about the dismal returns that some superstar players and franchises have come away with. Somehow, those on the middle path seem to fly under the radar and not make enough headlines.
Among them is Shikhar Dhawan, the veteran, now representing Punjab Kings (PBKS), who has been in the thick of things but has managed to do so almost unnoticed. The irony is that while the failures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma come up for discussion on a daily basis, Dhawan’s successes aren’t the talk of the town.
Shikhar Dhawan has ticked himself along to the third highest scorer in IPL 2022 – without much noise. Image: Sportzpics
Maybe that’s the kind of player he is. He doesn’t have the persona to be too conspicuous, so he is often not remembered, and that is not restricted just to the fans or the media, it filters down to the cricket board decision-makers as well.
But first, how has he done in IPL 2022. Well, given that he is just below the top two – Jos Buttler and KL Rahul – with 302 runs from eight innings with a top score of 88 not out, one could say he’s done quite well. His average of 43.14 or his strike rate of 132.45 may not be the best, but he has come good for PBKS in their wins, not least in the win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Monday night.
However, it has not been all roses, but that is how PBKS have played. Against Delhi Capitals, they managed just 115 runs, while against a burgeoning SunRisers Hyderabad, they failed to defend 151 runs.
What is symptomatic is that PBKS’ successes or failures have been on par with the successes of two players – Dhawan and skipper Mayank Agarwal. The latter seems to have lost his mojo a bit over the tournament, so it is left to senior man Dhawan to pull his weight and more.
The term ‘senior’ rings with a little irony when it comes to the left-hander. This is the same Dhawan who was “rested” – as per BCCI Chief Selector Chetan Sharma – for the ICC T20 World Cup last year.
In a classic case of muddled contradiction, Sharma went on about how Dhawan was an “important player” and was “in the loop” but had been “rested”.
No one is dropped or axed in Indian cricket any more. They are either injured, or rested.
Anyhow, this was shortly after Dhawan had led Team India during a limited-overs series in Sri Lanka. Also, when the announcement came, Dhawan was wearing the Orange Cap in IPL 2021.
One wishes, that with the arrival of fresh faces in the selection panel or such bodies, some new reasons or excuses also were thought of. But making announcements in a blase manner seem to be a norm in Indian sports.
Now, with another T20 World Cup around the corner, it would be quite something if Dhawan was in the scheme of things, irrespective of how badly some of the top names are doing.
None of this seems to faze Dhawan that much. He seems to have gone past most of these things, irrespective of how well or badly he does. Dhawan is not a man who would make big statements, nor is he going to be very expressive on the field. One assumes he has found his way to make peace with the vagaries of cricket and also his personal life, something that was in ruthless focus last year.
Nevertheless, it’s back to IPL 2022 for now. Before Monday, PBKS’ previous win had been over Mumbai Indians on 13 April, when they posted 198 runs, thanks to 70 runs off 50 balls by Dhawan and a half-century from Agarwal.
Essentially, as has been the case with most matches in IPL 2022, success at the top has resulted in points, or the lack of it. Top sides like Mumbai Indians or CSK are struggling because their top-order simply has not been able to come to the party.
Similar is the case with PBKS. They began with quite a bang against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match, posting 208/5. Dhawan was in the thick of things there as well, with a score of 43 off 29 deliveries.
Immediately thereafter, PBKS fell to 137 against Kolkata Knight Riders, as the openers didn’t manage to press on.
Punjab Kings still have it all to do. With the IPL 2022 rapidly approaching the business end, a 50 per cent record of wins and losses (8 points from as many matches) is not going to be enough to get them into the reckoning for the knockouts.
They need to string some wins and for that to happen, the calm mind of Dhawan would be a critical cog. Whether he, and PBKS, reach that level remains to be seen. But there is no doubt that he still has it in him to make things happen.
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