Welcome to the coverage of the Indian Premier League 2025 match No. 58 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
The stakes are high for both sides as they push hard for a place in the playoffs.
DC, who began with four wins on the bounce, have thereafter lost their way in the campaign, losing four of their next six matches, while one game was washed out.
The Axar Patel-led Capitals currently have 13 points from 11 games to be fifth in the standings, and are still in the race for a top-four finish.
K L Rahul and Abishek Porel have been consistently among the runs for them, but they have found themselves in trouble on many occasions due to poor middle-order and lower middle-order contributions.
Apart from Ashutosh Sharma, and Tristan Stubbs to a certain extent, no other batter in those positions could make a big impact.
Rahul has aggregated 381 runs in 10 matches at an average of 47.63 and a strike rate of 142.16. He averages 31 against Punjab and DC need their leading run-getter to score big today.
The 26-year-old Ashutosh has scored 186 runs in eight innings at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 167.56.
Karun Nairs form is a big worry for DC. The Team India discard, who returned to the IPL after three years with a swashbuckling 40-ball 89 against Mumbai Indians, faced a slump in form with scores of 15, 4, 15, 31, 0 and 0 in the next six games.
Although Karun was promoted to opening the batting in their rain-marred fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the move did not yield the desired result, as he was dismissed by rival skipper Pat Cummins for a first-ball duck.
It was DCs sixth different opening combination in 11 matches, exposing their vulnerabilities at top of the order.
DC, however, have a rounded bowling unit, led by the experienced Mitchell Starc and wily Kuldeep Yadav. Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, and Vipraj Nigam add variety to their attack.
A loss against Punjab will seriously jeopardise DCs qualification chances as they will be limited to 17 points even if they win their remaining two matches.
In comparison, Punjab Kings are in a stronger position, having mustered 15 points from 11 games.
A couple of wins in their next three matches will see them complete the league assignments with 19 points, which could propel themselves to their first playoff berth since 2014 and even a top-two finish.
Punjabs top-order, led by skipper Shreyas Iyer, has been in blistering form. Shreyas have blasted 27 sixes this season, and is second on the list of leading six-hitters, behind LSGs Nicholas Pooran with 34 sixes.
Young openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have taken the attack to the opponents, and their consistency at the top has been the cornerstone of Punjabs success so far this season.
The two have hit 17 sixes each in the Powerplay, and are only behind Rajasthans Yashasvi Jaiswal (20 sixes).
On the bowling front, pacers Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen have been effective in the Powerplay, especially when conditions were favorable for them.
As their next home match against Mumbai Indians on May 11 is shifted to Ahmedabad following the closure of the local airport amid the ongoing military developments, Punjab will be looking to finish their home engagements with a win and put one foot in the playoffs.
Punjab and DC have faced each other 33 times in IPL, with the former winning 17 of them. At the HCA Stadium, both sides have won two matches each.
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