Shikhar Dhawan to replace Mayank Agarwal as Punjab Kings captain
New Delhi, Nov 2: Veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan will replace Mayank Agarwal as Punjab Kings captain for the 2023 Indian Premier League.
The decision was taken at the franchise's board meeting on Wednesday.
The move was on expected lines after the 31-year-old from Karnataka failed to take the team to the IPL play-offs earlier this year.
Agarwal was made captain for the 2022 edition after K L Rahul decided to move to Lucknow Super Giants. Besides the team's inconsistent run, Agarwal's form also dipped as he managed 196 runs at an average of 16.33.
The franchise had thought about making Dhawan the skipper last year as well but decided to go ahead with Agarwal.
"The board has decided to make Dhawan captain. He has all the experience, both as player and captain in the IPL and also did well for the team in his first season last year," an IPL source told PTI.
Punjab had paid Rs 8.25 crore for Dhawan's services at the mega auction earlier this year. The 36-year-old southpaw repaid the faith by scoring 460 runs in 14 games at an average of 38.33 and a strike rate of 122.66.
The franchise is keen on retaining Agarwal despite handing over the leadership duties to Dhawan. A decision on that will be made soon as the player retention deadline is set at November 15.
Though Dhawan has been a consistent performer in the IPL, he only plays in the 50-over format for India. Of late, he has been captaining the second string India ODI team and will lead the side in New Zealand later this month. In the IPL, he has leadership experience with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Punjab will also have a new head coach in Trevor Bayliss, who guided England to the 2019 ODI World Cup title and KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. Bayliss will be assisted by fellow Australian Brad Haddin.
The team owners' expectations are high from the new coach and captain as the franchise searches for its maiden title. Punjab's sold final appearance came way back in 2014. They finished sixth in the previous four seasons.
Gabbar will be at the 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗿 for Punjab Kings! 🗻#SherSquad, welcome your 🆕 Skipper, Jatt ji! ♥️🤩#ShikharDhawan #CaptainGabbar #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings @SDhawan25 pic.twitter.com/BjEZZVVGrw
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) November 2, 2022
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
