Shikhar Dhawan hits highest score of IPL 2023, lifts Punjab from 77-7 to 143-9 with record partnership

IPL 2023: Shikhar Dhawan slammed an unbeaten 66-ball 99 for Punjab Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Shikhar Dhawan scored an unbeaten 99 off 66 balls to lift Punjab Kings to 143 for nine against SRH on Sunday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Shikhar Dhawan slammed the highest individual score of IPL 2023 for Punjab Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

After being sent into bat by Sunrisers, the Punjab Kings skipper braved a batting collapse to notch up an unbeaten 99 off 66 balls, while adding a record 10th-wicket IPL partnership (55) with Mohit Rathee.

Dhawan missed out on the chance to score his third IPL ton in the final over after playing out four dot balls before smacking a last-ball six as he single-handedly lifted Punjab to 143 for nine.

Incidentally, Dhawan’s contribution of 69.2 per cent runs to the team total is also the highest by an Indian batter in a T20 game (min. 100 runs scored by the team).

The 37-year-old Dhawan, who made his IPL debut in 2008, had to wait for 167 innings to score his first IPL ton during the IPL 2020 season during his stint with Delhi Capitals. Dhawan then followed it up with another hundred in the very next match his current team Punjab.

Dhawan is the eighth batter to score 99 in the IPL, and the fourth to remain unbeaten. Chris Gayle is the only batter with two such scores in the IPL.

With 225 runs in three innings, Dhawan currently leads the Orange Cap charts, following scores of 40 and 86 against Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively in the previous games.

Dhawan’s knock ultimately went in vain as SRH chased down the 144-run target in 17.1 overs, courtesy an unbeaten 74 from Rahul Tripathi.

Highest percentage of T20 team runs by an Indian batter (min. 100 runs by a team):

• 69.2% - Dhawan (99* - 143/9) - PBKS v SRH, 2023*
• 68.44% - Rishabh Pant (128* - 187/5, 2018) Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
• 68.26% - Ruturaj Gaikwad (114 - 167/4, 2022), Maharashtra vs Kerala