• Sportzyverse
• IPL 2024
• 04/22/2024
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Punjab Kings’ IPL 2024 season faces challenges without injured captain Shikhar Dhawan. The team suffered a narrow three-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, marking their fourth consecutive loss and keeping them in ninth place in the standings. Sam Curran has taken on the captaincy role in Dhawan’s absence, but he has struggled to make an impact with both bat and ball.

Sehwag’s Criticism of Curran’s Performance

Curran’s performance in the match against Gujarat Titans was subpar, as he managed only 20 runs off 19 balls while opening the batting for Punjab. He also took one wicket in two overs, conceding 18 runs. India legend Virender Sehwag expressed dissatisfaction with Curran’s performance and the decision to bat him higher in the order.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag strongly criticised Curran’s all-round performance, questioning his utility to the team. He stated, “If I was in the PBKS dugout, I would not even pick him in my team, neither as a batting all-rounder nor as a bowling all-rounder. I wouldn’t pick him.”

Sehwag emphasised the importance of specialisation: “A player is not of any use if he can bowl a bit and bat a bit. You either bat properly and win us the match, or you bowl and win us the game. This bits and pieces part I don’t understand.”

Also read Adam Gilchrist Questions Mumbai Indians’ Team Dynamics Following Hardik Pandya’s Comments

Curran’s Stats and Approach

Curran’s performance this season has been uninspiring. He managed 152 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 116.03, with only one half-century. In bowling, he has taken 11 wickets for Punjab.

In the match against Gujarat Titans, Curran believed Punjab was 10-15 runs short. “I think so (we were 10-15 short),” he said. He also acknowledged the team’s struggles after the powerplay, stating, “Prabhsimran played really well in the powerplay, but unfortunately, we lost a cluster of wickets after that. Now we know what to do; we have to win every game.”

The Punjab Kings are facing a challenging phase in the IPL 2024 season without their regular captain, Shikhar Dhawan. Stand-in skipper Sam Curran’s performance has drawn criticism from experts like Virender Sehwag, who question his all-around utility to the team. With four consecutive losses, the Punjab Kings need to regroup and strategize their performance in the upcoming matches.