Delhi Capitals, who were the first team to be eliminated from playoff, now have an opportunity to spoil the party for others in their last two matches. Their first match takes them to Dharamsala, which will be the 12th venue to host an IPL game this season and serves as the home ground for the Punjab Kings in their final two matches. Currently positioned eighth on the points table with 12 points, the Kings can finish with 16 points and secure a place in the next round. It's been a while since they reached the playoffs, as their best performance in recent seasons was finishing as runners-up in 2014 while ending up in the sixth spot in the last four seasons.
The Kings' performance throughout the tournament has been inconsistent, alternating between impressive victories and disappointing losses. However, they confidently approach the game against DC, having defeated them by 31 runs recently. The key factors behind Punjab's win were Prabhsimran Singh's century and Harpreet Brar's four-wicket haul. Nevertheless, they also rely on their experienced players to step up during this crucial phase of the IPL.
In contrast, DC has relied heavily on their overseas players to carry the team, as the Indian batsmen have struggled to perform. Fortunately for them, the Dharamsala pitch is unlikely to pose spin challenges, which gives DC some relief after their difficulties on slow wickets in their last two matches.
Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings have faced each other 31 times in IPL battles. The scales tip slightly in favor of Punjab Kings with 16 victories, while Delhi Capitals have secured victory in 15 battles. As a result, the head-to-head record between these two teams is a tense 15-16.
PBKS-16 Won
DC-15 Won
Punjab Kings (PBKS) Possible Playing 11: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Shikhar Dhawan (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
Delhi Capitals (DC) Possible Playing 11: David Warner (C), Philip Salt (WK), Mitchell Marsh, Rilee Rossouw, Axar Patel, Aman Khan, Pravin Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar
The pitch conditions for the upcoming match are balanced, with a total of 11 matches played on this pitch. Out of these matches, the team batting first emerged victorious in 4 matches, while the team bowling first won 6 matches. The average score achieved on this pitch is 137, indicating that it is favorable for both batting and bowling. Considering these factors, choosing to bowl first after winning the toss would be a suitable decision.
Moving on to the weather report for the PBKS vs DC match, the forecast for Dharamsala, IN indicates mostly sunny conditions. The temperature is expected to be around 25°C on the day of the match, accompanied by 40% humidity and a wind speed of 6 km/h. The visibility is clear with a range of 10 km. The chances of precipitation during the game are minimal, with only a 1% likelihood.
Delhi Capitals Squad: David Warner(c), Philip Salt(w), Mitchell Marsh, Rilee Rossouw, Aman Hakim Khan, Axar Patel, Praveen Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Manish Pandey, Ripal Patel, Lalit Yadav, Chetan Sakariya, Abishek Porel, Sarfaraz Khan, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Anrich Nortje, Rovman Powell, Priyam Garg, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Vicky Ostwal
Punjab Kings Squad: Prabhsimran Singh, Shikhar Dhawan(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Atharva Taide, Matthew Short, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Mohit Rathee, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Baltej Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Gurnoor Brar, Shivam Singh
