Two inconsistent teams square off in game number 32 in this 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) just haven’t been able to build any sort of momentum in this tournament so far and are in the bottom half of the points table.
Delhi have two wins from five matches and are eight on the points table. Their two wins have come against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In one game, they hunted down 178 in dramatic fashion while in the other, they racked up 215. However, in the other encounters, DC’s batting has been inconsistent. Their openers Prithvi Shaw and David Warner are the only ones with fifty-plus scores. Apart from them, none of them have really fired.
Rishabh Pant has been getting starts but he hasn’t converted them. The rest of the middle-order hasn’t really come to the party. Their bowling has been decent with Kuldeep Yadav and Khaleel Ahmed leading the charge. Axar Patel hasn’t really hit his straps with the ball and Anrich Nortje’s return is still awaited.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings have been hit and miss this season. They have three wins and as many losses so far. They have adopted the approach of all or nothing and their batting has fired but not regularly enough.
Punjab’s batting has relied largely on Shikhar Dhawan at the top and Liam Livingstone in the middle. Mayank Agarwal has delivered in just one game while Jonny Bairstow hasn’t fired for three matches in a row and that may be a concern. Rahul Chahar and Kagiso Rabada have been the lead bowler for PBKS. Arshdeep Singh has bowled well but the wickets haven’t come and Vaibhav Arora has impressed a bit as well.
Match Summary
- Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, Match 32, IPL 2022
- Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
- April 20th, 2022
Head to head record slightly in favour of Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings have played 28 matches against each other. Delhi have won 15 while Punjab have won 13. Over the last three seasons, DC have four out of the six games against PBKS, including the last three fixtures.
- Indian Rupee as a currency
- Very Competitive odds
- Website available in Hindi
- Indian Rupee as a currency
- Very Competitive odds
- Website available in Hindi
PBKS’ dismal run with the bat at the death
Punjab have a fiery batting line-up and they have been the best batting team in the powerplay. They have a run rate of 9.03 in the first six overs this season which is the best among all teams. However, they have the worst record batting at the death. They’ve lost 17 wickets and have a run rate of 8.38 from overs 16-20, both of which are the worst for any side. Hence, the Mayank Agarwal-led side have gone hard at the top but they’ve lost fizz more often than not towards the back end of the innings.
Team News
Mayank Agarwal missed the last game as he was hit on the toe during practice. But he is going to return to the XI and Prabhsimran Singh will make way for the skipper. The rest of the side may not be tweaked too much. Meanwhile, Delhi will be waiting on Anrich Nortje’s fitness and will want him back in the XI as soon as he is fully fit.
Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings – IPL Betting Tip
Both DC and PBKS have been inconsistent this season. Punjab have won alternate game and Delhi have a win-loss record of 2-3. But Punjab’s batting line-up makes them slight favourites. They have the winning odds of 1.58 and DC have the odds of 1.96 to win the match.
IPL Match Prediction – Who will win the Man of the Match?
Liam Livingstone has batted beautifully in this tournament and has three 60s so far. Moreover, he has a strike-rate of 185.12 and has smashed 16 sixes. Thus, he could be a contender to be the man of the match. Prithvi Shaw and David Warner have been batting beautifully and the duo might also be in contention.