“We are very lucky to have him as our captain” – Preity Zinta on Shikhar Dhawan

Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta recently hailed her team captain Shikhar Dhawan in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The Bollywood actress stressed that the Delhi batter is always calm and humble, which is good for the team environment. The 48-year-old also lauded Dhawan’s leadership, despite him currently being off the field due to an injury.

Speaking to Star Sports, Zinta said:

“What a great guy. Somebody organized some speakers for players, but some net bowlers didn’t get it. Shikhar Dhawan was unhappy about it since he wanted everybody to get it. I think that’s leadership.”

She continued:

“He’s always happy. He’s got such a good vibe and is so humble. Gabbar’s aura is magnificent. He makes reels. So talented! I think we are very lucky to have him as our captain. He is very calm.”

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Shikhar Dhawan is in sublime form in IPL 2023

Shikhar Dhawan has been in sublime form with the bat in the ongoing IPL 2023. He has so far scored 233 runs in just four games, including an unbeaten 99 and 86 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), respectively.

The 37-year-old will look to continue his purple patch as PBKS chase their maiden IPL trophy this season. At the same time, he will also be aiming to make his Team India comeback ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil later this year.

The in-form left-handed batter, though, missed out on an opportunity to play the last three games for Punjab due to an injury that he sustained during their game against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 13.

Dhawan is likely to make his comeback against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home on Friday, April 28. The southpaw will bolster the batting unit, which struggled against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and LSG.

In Dhawan’s absence, stand-in captain Sam Curran has stepped up as a leader, guiding PBKS to two wins in their last three games.