After Gujarat Titans' qualifying, three IPL 2023 playoff slots are now open, therefore Punjab Kings will be looking for a decisive victory against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday as the two teams square off for the second time in five days.
DC are no longer in the equation, and PBKS are ranked eighth. The Shikhar Dhawan-led team still has a chance, but to do so, they must increase their net run rate (NRR), which is at -0.268, in addition to winning their next two games.
What: DC vs. PBKS
When: Wednesday, May 17,
Where: Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium
Hours: 7:30 PM IST
The Punjab will aim for a repeat performance and then pray that other outcomes go their way after a 31-run victory over the Capitals last week improved their NRR and confidence.
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Punjab will need to significantly improve their batting performance. Opening batsman Prabhsimran Singh fought alone against Delhi. Very few PBKS hitters have sufficiently added to their overall totals, with the exception of Dhawan, who has been their finest batter, and to some degree Prabhsimran Singh.
Additionally, their bowlers must pull up their socks. Despite having a strong bowling arsenal that includes Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, and Arshdeep Singh, PBKS often struggles to contain runs.
Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have had a terrible season and have already been eliminated from play-off contention.
All season long, the batting lineup has underwhelmed. Indian batsmen for Delhi have put in a poor performance, with the exception of Axar Patel.
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Delhi Capitals' struggles this season have been heavily impacted by the utter failure of Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, forcing the think-tank to position all of its foreign players at the top.
With the willow, the team's captain David Warner, wicketkeeper-bat Phil Salt, and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh have gained some momentum. However, once they are gone, the intermediate order just falls apart.
The Capitals seemed to be headed for an easy victory over Punjab in their last matchup until they lost eight wickets for a total of 67 runs.
Not as poorly as the hitters are the Indian bowlers playing in the team. Three of DC's four victories have been the result of outstanding bowling performances.
Ishant Sharma, a seasoned warhorse, has done his job, and Khaleel Ahmed's comeback has also been beneficial.
Anrich Nortje, who had previously gone home for personal reasons, is now back, but it remains to be seen if Delhi will stick with the four foreign batsmen at the top or whether they will bring in the South African pacer to hone their bowling assault.
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, a spin bowling pair, have produced efficient bowling.
Full Team
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh.
Delhi Capitals: David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Hakim Khan, Abhishek Porel (wk), Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Rovman Powell, Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Nortje, Mustafizur Rahaman, Chetan Sakariya, Mukesh Kumar, Phil Salt, Lungi Ngidi, Praveen Dubey, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vicky Ostwal, Ishant Sharma, Manish Pandey, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Yash Dhull.
