Dhawan set to return to action as Punjab takes on Bangalore

MOHALI: Punjab Kings captain and opener Shikhar Dhawan is set to return to action when the team faces Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League 2023 match at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium here on Thursday.The 37-year-old Dhawan, one of the bright spots in the Punjab team with 233 runs in four outings, missed the side’s away win over Lucknow Super Giants with a shoulder injury. Sam Curran led the team in the absence of the southpaw and performed his role admirably.
Dhawan trained on the eve of the PBKS-RCB match and is expected to return to the starting eleven. His comeback will bolster the top-order that was packed with inexperienced players in the last match. All-rounder Liam Livingstone could also be in contention to make it to the matchday squad after going through the paces in the last few days.Punjab, which has earned six points from five matches so far.
, was grateful to new heroes, Sikandar Raza and Shahrukh Khan, in the thrilling victory over Lucknow. The duo will be eager to pick up from where they left off while Matthew Short, having got good starts in the powerplay, will be determined to contribute big.Curran, the costliest buy in IPL auction history, has been pretty good with the ball but would be keen to improve with the blade. With Curran, Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada in its roster, Punjab possesses one of the best bowling units and will back itself to get the better of the Bangalore batting pack. Skipper Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell will look to get RCB back to winning ways after it went down to Chennai Super Kings at home.
Du Plessis and Maxwell are in ominous touch, having struck half-centuries in the last match.