"Jitesh isn't…" Sanjay Bangar reveals why Sam Curran captained PBKS in Dhawan's absence instead of Jitesh Sharma

Sam Curran had led PBKS in three games with a win-loss record of 2-1.

Confusion erupted when Sam Curran came out for the toss for PBKS against RR in their last Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 encounter, even though Jitesh Sharma had replaced an ailing Dhawan at the pre-season captains’ briefing in Chennai last month, on the eve of the IPL 2024 tournament opening.

Jitesh, who had attended an optional practice session on the eve of the RR match, received a knock on the forehead while batting without a helmet in the spinners’ nets.

The wicket-keeper batsman returned to the field for the PBKS’ match against RR on Saturday after receiving 15 stitches on his eyebrow, but that terrible occurrence was not the only reason the Punjab administration overlooked Jitesh for captaincy. Jitesh was never officially appointed as the team’s vice-captain.

“Jitesh isn’t the designated vice-captain and I think maybe the impression could have been so because he attended the captain’s seminar at the start of the IPL,” Bangar clarified in the post-match presser.

In a similar situation in IPL 2023, when Dhawan was ruled out briefly after an on-field injury, Curran had led PBKS in three games with a win-loss record of 2-1.

“We were very clear that Sam Curran would be taking over as captain”- Sanjay Bangar

Bangar stated that the team sought continuity and that if Curran had not arrived late in India, he would have also been on that trip to Chennai.

He said: “The thought was always to have Curran [stand-in] because he had led the team in the previous year as well. He was late to arrive from the UK and because he wanted to have a few sessions, that’s the reason we couldn’t send him to Chennai for [briefing] hence Jitesh was sent since the directive from the IPL [committee] was that a player has to attend… We were very clear in our minds that if at all there had to be an opening, Sam Curran would be taking over and will [fill in] as the team’s captain.”

The Kings are currently placed eighth in the IPL 2024 points table, with two wins in six matches.

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