On Saturday (May 13), the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will witness a clash between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 59th game of the IPL 2023. Unfortunately, the Capitals find themselves at the bottom of the points table with only four wins from 11 games. Their chances of qualifying for the playoffs have dwindled considerably. In their previous encounter, they fell short by 27 runs while chasing a target of 168 runs set by Chennai Super Kings. Rilee Rossouw top-scored for the Capitals, contributing 35 runs off 37 deliveries.
The Kings have faced defeat in their last two games, including their most recent encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders. With five wins out of 11 games, they currently occupy the 8th position in the points tally. Batting first, the Kings posted a total of 179 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. However, the Knight Riders managed to chase down this target on the final delivery of the game, securing a victory by five wickets. Andre Russell’s contribution of 42 runs off 23 deliveries earned him the well-deserved Player of the Match award.
Both teams have encountered each other in 30 IPL matches, with each team emerging victorious in 15 games. In their recent encounters, the Capitals have had the upper hand, winning four out of the last five games against the Kings. The Kings’ most recent win against the Capitals dates back to the year 2020.
PROBABLE PLAYING XI
Delhi Capitals
David Warner(C), RR Rossouw, Aman Hakim Khan, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, MR Marsh, Ripal Patel, PD Salt(wk), KK Ahmed, KL Yadav, Ishant Sharma
BENCH : Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Abishek Porel, A Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, P Shaw, SN Khan, P Dubey, Yash Dhull, Mustafizur Rahman, KL Nagarkoti, L Ngidi, Vicky Ostwal, C Sakariya, Priyam Garg
Punjab Kings
Shikhar Dhawan(C), B Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, SM Curran, R Dhawan, LS Livingstone, P Simran Singh, JM Sharma(wk), RD Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh
BENCH : Sikandar Raza, Nathan Ellis, A Taide, Harpreet Singh, MW Short, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh, Rajangad Bawa, Baltej Singh, K Rabada, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Gurnoor Brar
PITCH REPORT
The pitch is expected to offer substantial assistance to the batters, creating favourable conditions for high-scoring encounters in this game. Throughout the current season, the average first innings score stands at 168 runs, reflecting the pitch’s batting-friendly nature. Over the past three years, pacers have accounted for 63% of the wickets in T20 matches, while spinners have claimed the remaining 37%. Interestingly, in the recent IPL matches, the chasing team has emerged victorious in four out of the last five games, indicating a potential preference for chasing. Consequently, the team winning the toss might contemplate opting to bowl.
