Punjab Kings reach second ‘home’ Dharamsala for two games

Dharamsala, May 2

Punjab Kings today arrived in Dharamsala to face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL match scheduled on May 5. Sam Curran, captain of Punjab team, was accorded a warm welcome when he and his team members exited the airport.

Former captain Shikhar Dhawan, who will not be able to play due to an injury, has been replaced by Sam Curran, a pace bowler. According to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) secretary Avnish Parmar, the team would stay in Dharamsala for its IPL fixtures scheduled for May 5 and May 9.

Jonny Bairstow, who had scored a brilliant century in the last match, has also arrived here. Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel and Nathan Ellis were all mesmerised by the beauty of snow laden Dhauladhars and were seen clicking pictures of the hills.

Kagiso Rabada, right-arm fast bowler from South Africa, and Harshal Patel, who has been honoured with the purple cap for taking the maximum (14) number of wickets in this season, have also arrived with their family members.

• Punjab Kings will play two matches at HPCA stadium, Dharamsala, on May 5 and 9.
• Sam Curran will lead the side in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, who has been ruled out due to an injury.
• The players will hit the nets on Friday.

The team and the staff, including the coaches and physicians, boarded the special buses and headed for Radisson Blu hotel, where they would be staying for the next couple of days.

The players would be seen in practice sessions at the HPCA Ground tomorrow, when the CSK players would arrive in Dharamsala.