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Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan's played a true captain's knock with his unbeaten knock of 99(66)*. While the entire team floundered against the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers, Dhawan held on to one end and steered Punjab Kings to a total of 143-9.
However, it was not enough to secure a third consecutive victory for Punjab Kings. The visitors were short by a margin of 30 to 40 runs. "Was very happy with my knock. As a batting unit, we lost too many wickets and couldn't put a big total and because of that we lost the game. 175-180 would have been a reasonable score. It was seaming and swinging, we couldn't tackle that and fell short. I was pleased (with the bowling), there was not much to defend, lot of learning for us from this game. We'll analyse where we can get better. I am enjoying the captaincy, have a great bunch of boys, just taking it day-by-day. Captaincy doesn't affect me, I just back my plans. With so much experience, I know how to play with a calm mind," PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan said after the match. His effortless batting in challenging conditions earned him the Man of the Match award. This knock will definitely hold a special place in Dhawan's career. "I didn't expect I will reach there (99*) at the end of the day. As a batting unit, we had a plan. The way we thought about the wicket, it was a bit different. It was initially seaming and swinging and it was a bit low as well but we should have moulded our game. I am grateful for the 99 and I am very happy. I was playing according to the situation and kept scoring boundaries when it was needed," Dhawan continued. Punjab Kings will face the defending champions Gujarat Titans on Thursday at their home ground Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. (ANI)
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