At the second-last position in the standings with only four points from eight games so far, Punjab Kings find themselves in a must-win situation ahead of their clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Friday.
What had also hurt the Kings in their campaign is the absence of their regular captain Shikhar Dhawan, who missed their last three games due to a shoulder injury. The Punjab side lost those three games against Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, and are in a four-game losing streak going into Friday’s contest.
However, the Kings seem to be working on Dhawan’s fitness to brighten the prospects of his availability for the crucial game on Friday. Dhawan didn’t bat at nets in the Kings’ training session at the Eden on Wednesday, undergoing knocking in two phases wearing a pad just on his front leg.
Prior to that, he participated in a football game along with the rest of the squad at the initial stage of the training session. If Dhawan does bat at nets on Thursday — ahead of the match — there could then be a chance of him making a comeback in the XI.
The Kings thus are keeping their fingers crossed at present. In Dhawan’s absence, stand-in captain Sam Curran hasn’t clicked as an opener.