In the 59th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Delhi Capitals (DC) will welcome Punjab Kings (PBKS) tonight i.e. Saturday, May 13 at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi at 7:30 PM IST.
With only four victories, eight points, and a net run rate of -0.605, DC are firmly entrenched at the bottom of the IPL 2023 points standings. With only four victories in their previous 11 games, DC are facing an unceremonious elimination. Winning their next three games would only bring them to 14 points, which might not be sufficient to secure a spot in the top four, putting their fate in the hands of other franchises. It has mostly been skipper David Warner, keeper-batter Phillip Salt, and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh who have provided the team with some momentum with willow. The specialised Indian batters have rarely made a contribution. Nonetheless, the bowlers have performed better, with pacers Ishant Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed frequently taking wickets and the spin combo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav bowling at accurate line and length. To win those crucial two home games, the Delhi-based team will need a complete team effort from everyone.
On the contrary, PBKS have recently won four games with eight points to their name and a net run rate of -0.472. The Punjab-based team, which has 10 points after 11 games, is also facing a must-win situation after suffering consecutive losses to Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), respectively. This season, PBKS have seen hot and cold times. Their bowlers were unable to hold up gigantic totals of over 200 in the last two games as MI and KKR out-batted them. Shikhar Dhawan continues to be their finest batter and has performed admirably, but other batters fall short in comparison. Furthermore, Arshdeep Singh has been their main bowler in the bowling attack, but recently, he has been leaking runs along with Nathan Ellis and Sam Curran. Their case has suffered as they don’t have a strong off-spinner. Rahul Chahar has struggled with consistency, and Liam Livingstone has only claimed two wickets in five outings. Both teams aren’t putting in a full team effort, but if they want to stand a chance of making the playoffs, they surely must.
Head-to-Head:
These two teams have encountered 30 times in the past and it’s all square as both the teams have won 15 games each. In their last outing, which took place last season, DC won by 17 runs.
Where-to-Watch:
OTT: JioCinema