Punjab Kings’ management will assess the fitness of Shikhar Dhawan later this week in Delhi before a decision is taken on his availability for the last two fixtures of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dhawan has been out of action since injuring his shoulder while fielding during the home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9, and in his absence, the side has struggled with just eight points from 11 outings.

“In any team that you are part of, it’s disappointing to lose your senior-most player for an extended period, and Shikhar is the most successful opener in this tournament,” Punjab Kings’ assistant coach Brad Haddin said.

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“Shikhar will be assessed when we are in Delhi and then hopefully, we can have more positive news for the last couple of games. Fingers crossed…”

On paper, the team still has its playoffs hopes alive and needs to win all three remaining games.

According to Haddin, the team’s focus has been to make sure it works on the lessons from the CSK game and concentrates on the fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which also has eight points from 11 games, but enjoys a better Net Run Rate.

“We didn’t start well, but now, we are playing very good cricket and we need to build on that momentum,” RCB’s Swapnil Singh said, adding: “All three games are important and if we can win them, we will give ourselves the best chance to reach the playoffs…”