Punjab Kings have been on a roll.
| Photo Credit: R.V.MOORTHY
Sixteen days after their game in Dharamshala was abandoned before the completion of the first innings, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals will meet again in IPL 2025 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, here on Saturday.
A lot has changed since that night in the mountain town. Kings have already sealed their spot in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years after a win against Rajasthan Royals here.
The Shreyas Iyer-led team has been heavily reliant on its top-order this season, and the performance of the middle-order against RR, led by Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, augurs well as the side pushes for a top-two finish.
The mood is sombre in the Capitals’ dressing room after a 59-run drubbing at the hands of the Mumbai Indians extinguished the team’s hopes of qualification.
Capitals missed the services of pace spearhead Mitchell Starc, who has not made it back after the league’s restart, especially at the death. DC conceded 62 runs in the final four overs, including 48 off the last two, which eventually helped its opponent gain the upper hand in the contest.
However, batting has been DC’s Achilles heel this campaign. DC has the third-worst batting average this year (27.13), and K.L. Rahul (504) has been its only batter to aggregate more than 350 runs. The team will hope skipper Axar Patel will be available after a bout of flu as it looks to finish another below-par campaign with a win.
Published – May 23, 2025 08:06 pm IST