Punjab Kings pull off stunner with last-minute leadership appointment ahead of IPL 2024

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) made a stunning 11th-hour leadership appointment ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, which is set to commence on March 22 with the high-profile battle in Chepauk between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be seen in action in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 when they take on the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) on March 23 in Mullanpur.

PBKS will be led by the veteran India National Cricket Team opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan in the competition. The left-handed batsman did not attend the captains’ photoshoot before the IPL 2024, which raised eyebrows.

However, a PBKS source told myKhel that there is nothing to worry about as Shikhar Dhawan is just having a minor illness and will recover in time for their IPL 2024 opening clash. The source said, as quoted by myKhel:

“Shikhar Dhawan’s absence from today’s travel was due to a minor illness. He is expected to recover in time for PBKS’ inaugural match against Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the newly constructed Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur, Mohali. Dhawan has been actively training with the team in Mohali and is slated to be fully prepared for the opening game against their northern rivals, Delhi Capitals.”

Jitesh Sharma Named Vice-captain Of Punjab Kings (PBKS) Ahead Of IPL 2024

In IPL 2023, Sam Curran was seen leading the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the few matches that Shikhar Dhawan missed. However, in the upcoming edition that is set to change as an Indian will be leading in case Dhawan misses some games for the franchise.

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) have appointed the 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma as the vice-captain of the team. He was seen representing the PBKS at the captain’s photoshoot.

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Jitesh Sharma made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2022 and so far he has featured in 26 matches in the marquee T20 league. The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 543 runs at an average of 25.86 and a strike rate of 159.24, with the best score of 49*.

On the back of his performances for the Punjab Kings (PBKS), Jitesh Sharma got his India call-up. The wicketkeeper-batsman has represented the India National Cricket Team in 9 T20I matches so far and he managed to score 100 runs at an average of 14.28 and a strike rate of 147.05, with the highest score of 35.

He will be looking forward to making an impact with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as it will make his case strong for the selection in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad. The T20 World Cup 2024 will be held just after the IPL 2024 and it will be hosted by the West Indies and USA in June.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS) bought as many as 8 players at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction which was held in Dubai. They acquired Harshal Patel (Rs. 11.75 crore), Rilee Rossouw (Rs. 8 crore), Chris Woakes (Rs. 4.20 crore), Ashutosh Sharma (Rs. 20 lakh), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Shashank Singh (Rs. 20 lakh), Tanay Thyagarajann (Rs. 20 lakh), and Prince Choudhary (Rs. 20 lakh).