The second game of the Sunday doubleheader is set to be played between Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings and Aiden Markram-led Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Hosts SRH had won the toss and decided to bowl first. However, at the time of the toss, Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan announced that the team will enter the field without their star batter, Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
Rajapaksa got hit in the last game
Punjab Kings faced a major setback in their last match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. During the match, the team’s key player, Sri Lankan batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa, was struck by a severe blow to his elbow, forcing him to retire from the game in the 9th over of PBKS’ innings. The unfortunate incident occurred when PBKS captain Shikhar Dhawan hit a delivery from Ravichandran Ashwin toward Rajapaksa, aiming to score a boundary. However, the ball ended up hitting Rajapaksa’s elbow, leaving him injured.
Despite Rajapaksa denying any serious injury through his social media posts, the team management seems to have taken a cautious approach as he has been left out of the squad for today’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “So happy for the win @PunjabKingsIPL! Thank you all for checking up on me. The X-rays have cleared me of any broken bones/fractures! Plenty of ice needed but I’m doing fine,” Rajapaksa had tweeted after Punjab’s win over Rajasthan Royals in the last game.
The team has brought in Australian middle-order batsman Matt Short as a replacement for Rajapaksa, as Liam Livingstone is also not fully fit. The absence of Rajapaksa from the team could prove to be a major blow for PBKS as he has shown signs of form for the team and looked in good touch in their first game against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the team’s management would be hoping that the replacement, Matthew Short, can step up and fill in the void left by the injured Rajapaksa.
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