Reason behind Rishi Dhawan’s mask
The eye catcher of the night in the match between Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings is the come back of Rishi Dhawan after missing 5 editions of Indian Premier League. The Himachal all rounder was seen sporting a face shield as he was taking position to bowl.
Dhawan was picked for INR 55 lakh in the IPL mega auction by Punjab Kings. The 32-year-old all rounder was a part of Punjab franchise when they reached the finals. This is his fifth season with Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab).
The actual reason behind putting on a safety shield while bowling is his nose injury that he sustained during a Ranji Trophy match. While featuring in the second round of Ranji Trophy, the all rounder was hit on his face by a ball on his follow through. The shield protects him against any further damage to the nose.
Apparently this is also the reason why Rishi Dhawan had to miss the first four games of the season for the Punjab Kings.
“I am making an IPL comeback after 4 years so it was a little disheartening when I got injured in the Ranji Trophy. I had to go through surgery which ruled me out of the first four matches, but I’m totally fine and available for selection now. I’ve been training hard and hope to have a strong comeback,” Rishi said in the video.
“It was absolutely a low phase for me because I’d worked so hard to make a comeback and I finally got a chance in the IPL after 4 years. I performed well in domestic cricket. I tried continuously for 3-4 years to make a comeback so I was a little scared wondering whether I’d miss out on playing due to my injury.” he added.
Rishi Dhawan picked 2 crucial wickets in his come back match – that of Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni. He was also entrusted with bowling the final over of the match in which he picked the wicket of MS Dhoni after conceding a six off the first delivery! Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs in the match.
