“We Need To Improve By 10%” Says Punjab Kings Skipper Shikhar Dhawan

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India] : After a defeat at the hands of the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Saturday, Punjab Kings Captain Shikhar Dhawan said that his side will look to implement their plans better to get back to winning ways, adding they need to do 10 per cent more than what they are right now.

Despite a solid start with the bat from openers Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow while chasing a target of 200, the Punjab batting line-up fell short of the target by 21 runs on the night.

Speaking after the match, Dhawan said as quoted by a PBKS press release, “We will sit down and analyse the game. We have to improve our fielding and start taking important catches. If we drop chances, it takes the momentum away and brings down the energy. We also need to come up with better plans and more importantly, implement them effectively. We are close but we need to do 10 percent more.”

With Liam Livingstone suffering an injury while fielding, Punjab were forced to rearrange the batting order against Lucknow. Dhawan addressed the issue and said that it impacted his side, while the left-hand batter also credited Lucknow bowlers Mohsin Khan and Mayank Yadav for their performances with the ball.

“Lucknow played well. Livingstone’s injury impacted us a lot. If he had come at number 4, things could have been different. We started really well and it looked like we would be able to chase down the total at one point,” Dhawan said.

“But credit goes to Mayank, who bowled really well and whose pace outsmarted us. Also, other bowlers bowled well, including Mohsin Khan, who bowled short deliveries to the left-handed batsmen, and it was a big field on the other side. So, Lucknow kept the pressure on us in the chase,” Dhawan signed off.

Punjab Kings will next take on the Gujarat Titans on Thursday, April 4 at 19:30 hrs IST.
LSG elected to bat first after winning the toss. Quinton de Kock (54 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes), skipper Nicholas Pooran (42 in 21 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Krunal Pandya (43* in 22 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) helped LSG reach 199/8 in 20 overs. There was a 47-run partnership between Kock and Pooran for the fourth wicket that helped LSG settle following some quick wickets.

Sam Curran (3/28) and Arshdeep Singh (3/30) were the pick of the bowlers for PBKS. Rahul Chahar and Kagiso Rabada took a wicket each.

In the run chase, skipper Shikhar Dhawan (70 in 50 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) and Jonny Bairstow (42 in 29 balls, with three fours and three sixes) kicked things off with a 102-run opening partnership. But Mayank’s fiery spell derailed PBKS’s efforts, reducing them to 141/4 in 16.2 overs. Liam Livingstone (28* in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) tried to fight out but PBKS was restricted to 178/5 in their 20 overs.

Mohsin Khan also picked up two wickets for 34 runs.

LSG is in fifth place in the points table with two points, having won one match and lost one. PBKS is in sixth place, with a win and two losses, giving them two points.