"Playing under Mayank will be good for me" - Shikhar Dhawan ready for new challenge in IPL 2022

Veteran Indian international Shikhar Dhawan is all set to don the Punjab Kings (PBKS) jersey in IPL 2022. He is looking forward to playing under young and dynamic captain Mayank Agarwal.

Incidentally, Agarwal was handed over the reins of the franchise after it parted ways with their erstwhile captain KL Rahul at the end of last season. This will be Agarwal's first stint as a full-time IPL captain.

The 36-year-old Dhawan sounded positive about his IPL team's chances ahead of the new campaign. Speaking to ANI, Dhawan said:

"I am looking very positive. Playing under Mayank will be good for me. We have a strong team; all youngsters are very good and talented. We hope we will do something big this time. Also if I get chance to open with Mayank, then it will be so good for me because it will be a big responsibility, and I am ready to handle it."

Dhawan was acquired by Punjab for Rs 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction last month after Delhi Capitals didn't retain him. He had a speculator outing last year, scoring 587 runs in 16 games and will hope to replicate that for PBKS this season.

Punjab begin their IPL 2022 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 27.

View the IPL Orange Cap Winners here.

"If I get a call back from Team India I would love to join" - Shikhar Dhawan

With young and talented openers coming up the ranks, Dhawan has had to warm the bench in the last few series, with the think tank trying new combinations.

Dhawan, who has represented India in 251 games across formats, is not too worried about his India selection. He said:

"I am practising hard and focusing on my work and not thinking too much this time. If I get a call back from Team India I would love to join, but if it doesn't happen, then I am happy and without any tension."

Shikhar Dhawan was recently part of the NCA camp for white ball players ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. A good stint in IPL 2022 could bolster Dhawan's chances of appearing in the mega event.

About the author

Ankush is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda covering news, listicles, features, and exclusives. A graduate in Commerce and an accountant by qualification, Ankush followed his true calling for sports journalism, and today, has over 8 years of experience having working for the likes of Sportzwiki and Cricfit. Ankush places a very high emphasis on factual accuracy in his articles and believes in representing the true image of the story. Writing in the simplest and most easy-to-understand language possible, especially for those not well-versed with English, is one of his strengths.

Ankush, who captained his state in the National School games, is a big fan of Ravichandran Ashwin. He admires his unconventional thinking and his eagerness to keep learning despite being a legend of the game. His favorite cricket team is Australia because of their mentality and fighting spirit, and them beating India in the 2003 World Cup final left a lasting impression on him.

Apart from watching and covering cricket, Ankush also likes to read books whenever possible.

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