"Three years ago I understood I had to increase my strike rate" - Shikhar Dhawan on his IPL success

Punjab Kings' opening batter Shikhar Dhawan revealed that he made a conscious effort to improve his strike rate to keep his place in the side. The veteran cricketer also credited Ricky Ponting for giving him confidence during his stint with the Delhi Capitals.

Dhawan had his best IPL season in 2020 with the Delhi Capitals under head coach Ricky Ponting when he finished the season as the second-highest run-getter. The southpaw amassed 618 runs in 17 games at 44.14 with four fifties and two tons.

Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Dhawan stated that a host of big hitters within the Punjab Kings' line-up was why he chose to play an anchor role in IPL 2022. However, he deems himself capable of increasing it when needed.

"I knew I had to work on my strike rate. Even last year, my strike rate decreased a little, but I had to play an anchoring role because virtually all our main batsmen at Punjab Kings were aggressive. Three years ago I understood I had to increase my strike rate."

"I didn't shy away from taking that risk. Also, at Capitals, I really enjoyed playing with Ricky Ponting. He put a lot of confidence in me, he appreciated even innings where I scored 15-20 runs but with a good strike rate. Ponting created a very good environment."

Nevertheless, the 36-year-old believes that the strike rate depends on the situation and that batters must be flexible.

"It totally depends on the situation. If the wicket is not easy to bat on, then playing aggressively makes no sense. Also, I don't believe the role should be allotted to one batter because then there is pressure on the guy at the other end. You have to be very flexible."

Dhawan also replaced Mayank Agarwal as Punjab Kings' captain for IPL 2023 after the latter struggled with the bat in the previous season.

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"The difference now is that it's a new beginning" - Shikhar Dhawan on difference between captaining in IPL and international cricket

Shikhar Dhawan. (Image Credits: Getty)

When asked about the difference between leading an IPL side and an Indian team, Dhawan feels the latter brings continuity, given they have played so much with one another. He hopes to bring that same level of comfort to the Punjab Kings, adding:

"I was only captain for half a season for Sunrisers. The difference now is that it's a new beginning. In the Indian team, I have been captain for three to four series, so there is a sort of a brotherhood now. Everyone knows how things go on, what to do, so there is a comfort level. I want to do the same at Punjab Kings, so that we reach that comfort level as soon as we can."

Punjab Kings haven't made it to the playoffs since 2014 when they also finished as runners-up.