Veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan will replace Mayank Agarwal as Punjab Kings captain for the 2023 Indian Premier League. The decision was taken at the franchise’s board meeting on Wednesday.
The move was on expected lines after the 31-year-old from Karnataka failed to take the team to the IPL play-offs earlier this year. Agarwal was made captain for the 2022 edition after K L Rahul decided to move to Lucknow Super Giants. Besides the team’s inconsistent run, Agarwal’s form also dipped as he managed 196 runs at an average of 16.33.
“The board has decided to make Dhawan captain. He has all the experience, both as player and captain in the IPL and also did well for the team in his first season last year,” an IPL source told PTI.
Punjab had paid Rs 8.25 crore for Dhawan’s services at the mega auction earlier this year. The 36-year-old southpaw repaid the faith by scoring 460 runs in 14 games at an average of 38.33 and a strike rate of 122.66.
