IPL has come to its final stage and we are left with just 13 matches. It’s the weekend and 2 matches will be played today:
- Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants
- Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings
Here in this article, we would cover match 2 (DC vs PBKS) in detail providing a fantasy team at the end.
Both teams are currently placed in the bottom 3 of the points table. A loss for Delhi means they are officially disqualified. Punjab may qualify after a loss but chances for this to happen are pretty less. But a win for Punjab can potentially take them to the top 6 (at 5 if SRH beats LSG in the day game).
Team Preview
Delhi Capitals
Warner is not in his best colours this time. He may have scored 300+ runs but those came at a very poor strike rate of 120. Their other batsmen have also not scored for them, which is a reason for the team’s failure.
The capitals’ main bowler in previous seasons (Anrich Nortje) has also been out of form. It’s been an off-season for Kuldeep Yadav too. Their All-Rounders (Axar Patel and Mitchell Marsh) are their best bowlers in IPL 2023.
Punjab Kings
Captain Shikhar Dhawan scored another fifty and is the only top-order batter to perform for Punjab Kings. The lack of an Indian core at the top brings a lot more responsibility for the middle order and finishers. Livingstone and Jitesh have performed but the top order needs to score more if PBKS wants to qualify.
Arshdeep Singh had almost defended 6 runs in the last over in the previous game but gave 30+ runs in his first 3 overs. The only positive Punjab can take from the last game was Rahul Chahar taking 2 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs. Sam Curran’s bowling has been poor this season and his performance in the next 3 games will be vital in deciding Punjab’s faith.
Pitch/Venue Report
The match would be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
- Total Matches Played-82
- Matches Won Batting First-35
- Matches Won Batting Second-46
- Average First Innings Score-162
The pitch of Arun Jaitley Stadium is known to support batters. The team batting first scoring 175-180 is not a rare sight on this ground. Moreover, short boundaries also help batsmen to score more. But as the game moves forward, spinners can also make an impact due to the dry nature of the pitch.
Probable Playing XI
Delhi Capitals: David Warner (c), Phil Salt (WK), Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Rilee Rossouw, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Aman Hakim Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Shikhar Dhawan (C), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan/Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh
Players to Watch Out For
Mitchell Marsh
Marsh’s versatility as an all-rounder makes him a vital cog in the DC set-up, and opposition teams will be wary of the threat he poses with both bat and ball.
His stats with the bat don’t seem fancy but he has played crucial knocks in the last few games against RCB and SRH.
He is also very effective with his medium-pace bowling capable of troubling even the best of batsmen. He has taken 12 wickets in 8 games this season.
Axar Patel
It won’t be wrong to say Axar is DC’s most important player this season. He has scored 267 runs this season with a strike rate of 138.5 and has also taken 9 wickets with an economy of 6.8.
Axar has the ability to turn the ball both ways and is known for his accuracy and his ability to contain the opposition batsmen. He is also a useful lower-order batsman, who can hit some lusty blows and score quick runs when needed.
Shikhar Dhawan
Known for his consistency and immense experience, Dhawan has been PBKS’s top batter this season. He has scored 349 runs in 8 games this season at a strike rate of 143.6
Dhawan’s solid technique and temperament make him a formidable opponent, especially in pressure situations. He has the potential to take the game away from the opposition and lead his team to victory.
Rahul Chahar
Chahar has not been having a good season so far. He has failed to consistently take wickets and has just got 5 wickets in 11 matches this season. However, he bowled very well in his previous match against KKR.
With the match being played in Delhi, Chahar can exploit conditions and can trouble the DC batsmen. He has the ability to generate sharp turns and bounce off the pitch, which can make it difficult to score runs against him.
DC vs PBKS Dream11 Team
Note: This is not our final Dream11 Team as we are not aware of the Toss Result/Final Playing XI of both teams at this moment.
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