Indian Premier League (IPL) fans were taken by surprise on Monday when Punjab Kings bowler Rishi Dhawan, who came to bowl the 5th over against Chennai Super Kings, was seen wearing a different face guard (covering the head and nose). Rishi Dhawan was playing his first IPL match after a long gap of almost 6 years. Rishi Dhawan conceded just 7 runs in his first over.
Rishi Dhawan clean bowled the in-form batsman Shivam Dubey in his second over. However, the conversation on social media mainly revolved around his face guard. Netizens were wondering why he got down wearing it. Some even claimed that this was the first time they had seen a bowler wearing such an accessory.
However, this is not unusual, as New Zealand player Andrew Ellis wore a specially designed helmet while bowling in 2019. During the 2019 Ford Trophy cricket match between Canterbury and Northern Districts, Ellis was seen wearing almost the same helmet as the players in a baseball match.
Why did Rishi Dhawan wear a face guard?
Rishi Dhawan used a specially designed face guard for added protection. Actually, he had returned to the field during the Ranji Trophy after suffering a head injury. He had suffered a face injury at the follow-through during the domestic tournament. Rishi Dhawan’s nose and upper part were covered due to the face guard. According to reports, Rishi Dhawan has recently recovered from a nose injury. Due to this, he wore such a face guard to keep himself safe while bowling.
Shikhar Dhawan made his highest score of IPL 2022
Let us tell you, in the IPL match on Monday i.e. 25 April 2022, Shikhar Dhawan scored his second half-century of the season to take Punjab Kings to 187 for 4 in 20 overs. The 36-year-old left-hander put on a 110-run stand for the second wicket in 11.3 overs with Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa (42) after skipper Mayank Agarwal was dismissed early.
Shikhar Dhawan scored an unbeaten 88. This was his highest score this season. Earlier, he had scored 70 runs against Mumbai Indians in Pune. Dhawan hit nine fours and two sixes in his unbeaten knock of 59 balls.
Rajapaksa hit 2 fours and 2 sixes during his innings of 32 balls. The pair disappointed the Chennai Super Kings bowlers for long wickets. England’s Liam Livingstone played a short but stormy innings of 19 runs in 7 balls with the help of one four and two sixes. Punjab Kings bought Liam Livingstone for Rs 11.5 crore in IPL 2022 Mega Auction.