Desperate Delhi Capitals Face In-Form Punjab Kings In Must-Win IPL Clash

Delhi Capitals will be desperate to arrest their slump and stay in contention for the playoffs when they take on a high-flying Punjab Kings in a crucial IPL match in Dharamsala on Thursday. DC have endured three losses and a no result due to rain in their last five games, and are currently placed fifth on the table with 13 points from 11 matches. The Axar Patel-led side had a disappointing time at home, managing just one win — that too via a Super Over — at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

A team that won its first four matches would have hoped that a change of venue would bring a change in fortune, but DC's batting unit disintegrated against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last game in Hyderabad before rain washed out the contest.

It was a complete top order collapse as DC lost half their side for 29, and it was only due to the brilliance of Ashutosh Sharma that they managed a respectable 133.

DC's top order has looked vulnerable. Karun Nair's promotion as an opener in the last game backfired as he was dismissed for a duck, while South African stalwart Faf du Plessis, who seemed to have returned to form, also perished early trying to force a boundary on a bowler-friendly pitch.

Abishek Porel has failed to capitalise on his starts, leaving DC high and dry. KL Rahul, their leading run-getter this season with 381 runs, too couldn't steady the innings. Axar himself was dismissed early.

However, DC still have depth in their batting line-up, and it was the effort of Tristan Stubbs, bowling all-rounder Vipraj Nigam, and Ashutosh that helped them post a fighting total.

The wicket at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is likely to be conducive to batting, having produced a high-scoring game between PBKS and Lucknow Super