IPL 2023: Struggling DC, PBKS aim to keep slim playoff hopes alive

Lying in the bottom half of the points table but still fighting to keep themselves alive, Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in what will be a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter for both teams at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday night.

IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap​

DC began the season with five consecutive defeats from their opening games, but went onto win four of their next five matches to keep their slim hopes alive. They are currently at the rock-bottom of the points table, with just eight points, and victories in their next three games would take them only to 14, which may not be enough for them to qualify for the playoffs.

PBKS, meanwhile, have two more points than DC (10), but they face stiff competition against Kolkata Knight Riders (10), Royal Challengers Bangalore (10) and Lucknow Super Giants (11) in their bid to qualify for the playoffs.

DC will hope David Warner finds his aggressive touch with the bat once again. Warner, who has scored four fifties so far this season, has not had the best of games with the bat since a knock of 57 against KKR on 20 April. Since then, the Aussie has endured scores of 21,0,2,220 and 0.

On the positive front for DC, England’s Phil Salt has added firepower to their batting lineup, notching up fifties against SRH and RCB recently.

In fact, in their last few matches, DC have relied on an overseas-heavy top order featuring Warner, Salt, Mitchell Marsh and Rilee Rossouw, and that trend seems like it would continue. Apart from being a reliable batter, Marsh also offers that extra bowling option for DC, as he has shown in the last three games, having picked a total of nine wickets from these matches.

While PBKS do not have to worry as far as injuries are concerned, Sam Curran’s form might be a concern. While Curran has proved expensive in the last few games, he has managed just seven wickets from 11 matches, and that might force PBKS to look at another option instead, maybe Kagiso Rabada.

DC vs PBKS: Head-to-head

Both Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings have played each other on 30 occasions, with 15 wins apiece. If the last five matches are to go by, DC have won four matches while PBKS have won one.

DC vs PBKS: Form guide (Last five matches)

DC: L W W L W

PBKS: L L W L W

DC vs PBKS Date and Time

DC vs PBKS will be played on 13 May (Saturday) at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

DC vs PBKS TV coverage, live streaming

DC vs PBKS in IPL 2023 will be available on Star Sports Network for TV broadcast. The match will be live streamed on JioCinema app and website if you’re looking to live stream it.

DC vs PBKS squads:

Delhi Capitals: David Warner (c), Khaleel Ahmed, Aman Khan, Yash Dhull, Praveen Dubey, Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Mukesh Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vicky Ostwal, Manish Pandey, Ripal Patel, Axar Patel, Rovman Powell, Rilee Rossouw, Chetan Sakariya, Phil Salt, Ishant Sharma, Prithvi Shaw

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Raj Bawa, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Harpreet Singh, Vidwath Kaverappa, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Ratee, Prabhsimran Singh, Kagiso Rabada, M Shahrukh Khan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Singh, Matthew Short, Sikandar Raza, Atharva Taide

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