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Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings will clash against each other at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
Punjab Kings secured their third victory this season after they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 34 runs on Friday. Next up, they face Delhi Capitals on Sunday, as both sides come into the match on the back of wins in their last game. The last time the two sides faced each other, Delhi Capitals secured a six-wicket victory over PBKS, with Shikhar Dhawan playing an incredible knock.
KL Rahul scored an unbeaten knock of 91 runs, as Punjab defeated RCB by a comprehensive margin. Harpreet Brar was the standout performer with the ball, picking up three wickets in his four-over spell. The 25-year old picked up three crucial wickets of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell to put PBKS in the driving seat.
Delhi Capitals scored a convincing seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in their last game. Prithvi Shaw continued his fine form with the bat, as he scored a splendid knock of 82 runs off just 41 balls against Eoin Morgan’s men. Delhi are currently second on the points table, having secured five wins in their seven matches so far. Their only losses have come against Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Punjab Kings are currently fifth on the points table, having won three games whilst losing four games so far. Chris Gayle was back among the runs on Friday, as he scored a quickfire knock of 46 runs from just 24 balls. Ravi Bishnoi was impressive with the ball, as he conceded just 17 runs in his four-over spell and picked up two wickets. It was an all-round performance from PBKS against RCB that handed them a much-deserved victory.
Key Players
KL Rahul is the current holder of the Orange Cap, having scored 331 runs in his seven innings so far. The PBKS skipper has already scored four half-centuries this season and has two scores in the 90s. The Indian batsman managed to score a vital knock of 91 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore and batted for the entirety of the 20 overs. Rahul has not been dismissed by RCB in their last four outings. He started out cautiously on Friday but ended with a flurry of runs that helped his side put up a strong total on board.
Harpreet Brar was awarded the player of the match against RCB for his useful contributions with both bat and ball. The youngster played his first game of the season and picked up three crucial wickets. Brar picked the wickets of Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli in consecutive deliveries and dismissed AB de Villiers in his next over. With the bat, he made a vital contribution as he scored 25 runs off just 17 balls, which helped his side register a score over 175.
Shikhar Dhawan played second fiddle to Prithvi Shaw in the last game against Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-hander was happy to rotate the strike and let Prithvi Shaw continue with his amazing striking. Dhawan has himself been in great form this season. The Delhi opener has scored 311 runs in his seven innings so far, at an average of 44.43 and a strike rate in the 130s. Dhawan has been one of the most consistent batters in IPL in the past few years, having scored over 600 runs last season.
Prithvi Shaw has been in mesmerizing form this IPL. The youngster smashed 25 runs off Mavi’s first over, smashing six boundaries. He was adjudged the player of the match for his incredible knock of 82 runs. He has been providing some swift start to DC this season, giving Shikhar Dhawan more time to settle in the middle. The Delhi opener has now scored 269 runs in his seven innings so far, at an average of 38.43 and an impressive strike rate in the 160s. He will hope to carry on with his fine performances, which can earn him a call-up to the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup.
Prediction
Delhi Capitals have found their correct team combination and are inching closer to booking a playoffs berth. After their narrow loss against RCB, they bounced back in style to secure a comfortable victory against Kolkata Knight Riders.
One major concern for Delhi will be Kagiso Rabada’s form this season. The South African who won the Purple Cap last season has failed to pick up wickets this season and has conceded runs at a higher economy.
Punjab Kings will look forward to making some changes in their playing eleven. Nicholas Pooran’s poor form continues this season, as he registered his fourth duck of the season against RCB. If Mayank Agarwal is fit enough to play on Sunday, he will come back into the starting lineup and open alongside KL Rahul.
