Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab Kings' captain and one of India's premier batters, has been sidelined for several weeks. Initially set to lead PBKS in IPL 2024, Dhawan's captaincy was abruptly halted due to an unfortunate incident. England all-rounder Sam Curran stepped in as captain mid-season, guiding the team until their penultimate match on May 15. For their final league game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 19, both Curran and Dhawan will be unavailable, with Jitesh Sharma set to captain the side.

A pressing question on everyone's mind is: where is Shikhar Dhawan, and why isn't he playing for the Punjab Kings? Let's delve into this subject further and find out why Shikhar Dhawan has been absent from the Punjab Kings' squad for the past several weeks despite sitting in the dugout during their games. 

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Where is Shikhar Dhawan? 

Shikhar Dhawan has been sidelined since injuring his shoulder while fielding in the home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9. In his absence, the team has struggled, managing only eight points from 11 matches. Before Dhawan was injured, the Punjab Kings were moving in an upward trajectory, looking good to book a spot in the final. However, Dhawan's injury provided a massive setback to the team's performance, resulting in them finishing second-to-last in the IPL 2024 points table. PBKS still have one more match to play before the end of the league stage and could finish a place above if they win. 

Shikhar Dhawan has played five matches in the IPL 2024 season and has scored 152 runs with a strike rate of 125.61. This is not his best performance in the league's history as he is considered one of the finest Indian openers in IPL having won a title with SRH in the past.  

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Punjab Kings are eliminated from the IPL 2024 playoffs race and are currently ranked ninth in the points table. PBKS' stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma has said that even though the side has not qualified for the finals they will look finish their season on a high when they meet SRH on Sunday.