Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer lauded Shikhar Dhawan’s match-winning knock of 86 runs which helped his team to reach a decent total and eventually helped them win the match against the Rajasthan Royals by five runs.
Dhawan started off slowly as he played a supporting role when Prabhsimran Singh was taking the bowlers to the cleaners. He gradually got into a rhythm and once he was well set and Prabhsimran was dismissed, he took charge. Hence Jaffer lauded his ability to adapt to situations and can pace his innings according to the requirement.
He praised the PBKS captain Dhawan for being very responsible in taking the visitors’ score to 197/4. Dhawan also became the third batter in IPL history to get to 50 fifty-plus scores. Jaffer highlighted Dhawan’s ability to adjust to different roles.
“I think Prabhsimran was going so well, so Dhawan knew that he could take his time, so he played the second fiddle, so that is where experience counts. When Prabhsimran got out, he took charge and then batted through the innings,” Jaffer stated.
The PBKS batting coach shared that they wanted someone to bat throughout the innings and Dhawan served the purpose very well. Once Dhawan got set, he started scoring runs at a higher pace and finished with an unbeaten 86 from 56 deliveries.
“We wanted one of the top three to bat until the 18th-19th over, and he did exactly that. He picked up his strike rate, it was a lot better in the second half. Somebody, as experienced as him, knows how to pace the innings and he did exactly that,” Jaffer added.
Dhawan is the second-highest runscorer in IPL history with 6,370 runs in 208 matches at 35.58. He has mustered 48 fifties and two centuries. He is only behind Virat Kohli in this regard.
Jaffer was very impressed with Prabhsimran SIngh’s aggressive knock. His brilliance at the top was the biggest takeaway from this game. In Jonny Bairstow’s absence, the youngster has stepped up and scored his maiden IPL fifty. But Jaffer demands more consistency from the youngster.
“Apart from this season, Prabhsimran Singh did not get a consistent run, because of various reasons, like we had Bairstow, KL and then Mayank was also there before. So this time around, he could get a consistent run and he has been a fabulous player, But, no matter how good you are, you need a little consistent run. So, he can play a lot more fearlessly,” Jaffer opined.
The young opening batter took the onus on himself of scoring quickly and allowed Dhawan to settle down and play the big innings. Prabhsimran’s fifty gave PBKS the platform that was needed to score big and was crucial to their eventual win over the Royals.
