"There are two players who have always been consistent" - Pragyan Ojha names Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner as the most consistent players in IPL
Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha named Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner as the most consistent players in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both batters are among the top run-scorers in the competition and have played together for four seasons at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Despite their age, both players are still at the top of their game and as a result, were included in the marquee list. The duo were in high demand at the IPL 2022 mega auction and were fetched for high prices by their respective franchises. Dhawan was bought for ₹8.25 crore by the Punjab Kings while the Delhi Capitals bought Warner for ₹6.25 crore.
Noting the versatility of Dhawan at the top of the order based on the situation, Pragyan Ojha said on Cricbuzz:
"For me, there are two players who have always been consistent. One is Dhawan and the other is David Warner. Dhawan can build an innings as well as play aggressively. He keeps a good clarity and plays according to the situation."
The PBKS opener played the role of anchor to perfection in a low chase of 144 against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday. He remained unbeaten on 62 off 53 deliveries to get PBKS across the line with four overs to spare.
He shared a vital 82-run partnership with Bhanuka Rajapaksa for the second wicket. The stand proved to be the backbone of the run chase before Liam Livingstone came in to finish things off.
Opining that the second wicket partnership kept GT out of the game, former India player Ajay Jadeja said:
"Had Punjab lost a couple more wickets at the top, then the game would have been different. Rajapaksa came in and played his natural game while Dhawan stuck to his strengths. GT could not come into the game after this partnership. Livingstone was able to come in and play with freedom because of that partnership."
PBKS notched their fifth win of the season to climb to the top half of the IPL points table 2022. GT, on the other hand, endured only their second loss and maintained their lead at the top.
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"I don't see any other left-arm spinner better than him in Indian cricket." - Ajay Jadeja on Harpreet Brar
PBKS are making serious strides towards the playoffs on the back of their players coming into form. Kagiso Rabada has consecutive four-wicket hauls under his belt. Meanwhile, Sandeep Sharma and Arshdeep Singh have handled things on either side of the innings.
Praising PBKS' bowling performance against GT, Jadeja said:
"I always found this Punjab side impressive. Bowlers did their work today. Rishi Dhawan's bowling is making a difference. Rabada and Arshdeep are first class. They did not play Sandeep Sharma at first. We have not seen the best of Rahul Chahar yet as well. Now there is one more bowler that they played initially on green tracks, now that he can play, he is not being played and that is Harpreet Brar. I don't see any other left-arm spinner better than him in Indian cricket."
PBKS will next take on the Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on May 7 (Saturday).
Shikhar Dhawan is on No. 3 on the Orange Cap list
The seasoned player, following his third fifty in the IPL 2022, crossed the 300-run mark for the 13th time in the competition. He is only behind KL Rahul and Jos Buttler in terms of run scoring with 369 runs at an average of 46.13.