Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are gearing up to battle it out in match 2 of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 season. PBKS VS DC scheduled the match for Saturday, March 23, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. This is the first game of the season for both teams, and they want to start strong.
Punjab is hosting Delhi in their new stadium for the first time in an IPL game. Led by Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi finished eighth last season. With new players joining this time, they’re aiming to put the past behind and start anew in the 17th edition. Punjab has never won the trophy. The closest they came was in the 2014 finals, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders and finished as runners-up.
On the flip side, the Capitals didn’t do well in the 2023 season, ending up in ninth place with David Warner leading them. Pant, sidelined for over a year due to an accident in 2022, aims for a strong comeback. The Capitals, like Punjab, haven’t won the championship. They reached the finals only once, in the 2020 season, but the powerful Mumbai Indians defeated them.
Pitch Report
They will open the Mullanpur stadium with this match. A few local games have already taken place there, and the pitch and conditions could change with more games. The pitch favors bowlers, especially those who are good at using slower ball change-ups. Teams might choose to bowl first on this new pitch.
PBKS vs DC Probable Playing XIs
Punjab Kings:
Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Prabhsimran Singh (Wicketkeeper), Jonny Bairstow, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh
Delhi Capitals:
Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Yash Dhull, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar
Probable Best Batter:
Shikhar Dhawan carries a big responsibility for Punjab Kings as a key batsman. He’s been a steady opener in past seasons and is second on the list of all-time IPL run-scorers. Despite his time away from competitive cricket, he’s eager to make an impact right from the start.
Probable Best Bowler:
Kuldeep Yadav’s spin bowling could be key for DC, as he might grab early wickets. He’s been in good form in Test cricket and has been consistent for the Indian team in shorter formats too. Pant plans to deploy Yadav during the middle overs to take important wickets.
