Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 66th match of the Indian Premier League. This match will be played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur and we are aproaching the last few games left for them this season. The fixture was abandoned on May 8 due to security reasons and will now be played in Jaipur. PBKS were on 122/1 in less than 11 overs when the match was stopped.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have already booked their spot in the playoffs and are now eyeing a top-two finish. They are currently in the third spot in the table with 17 points from 12 games. DC have been eliminated from the tournament and will now be looking to exit the competition with a couple of wins. They are currently at the fifth spot in the table with 13 points from 13 games.
PBKS vs DC : Previous Performances
The last time Punjab Kings took on Delhi Capitals, the game ended in an unprecedented manner due to unforeseen circumstances. Shreyas Iyer’s men were in pole position to put up a monstrous total that could have guaranteed them two points. The good news for PBKS is that those points weren’t shared and they have a rematch to claim it. The bad news is that the kind of momentum they gained that day against DC doesn’t come every day, particularly when you contrast the conditions on offer from Dharamsala to Jaipur.
Punjab Kings have already qualified for the playoffs with eight wins in twelve matches and are currently third in the table. They beat the Rajasthan Royals in the previous match and will be keen to secure a top 2 spot with a win here. PBKS are coming into this game on the back of a thrilling 10-run win over Rajasthan Royals.
Batting first, PBKS posted a big total of 219/5 in 20 overs thanks to half-centuries from Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh. With the ball, PBKS restricted RR to 209/7 to win the game. PBKS have won their last three games and will be eyeing another win to bolster their chances of a top-two finish.
Unlike PBKS, DC is coming into this game on the back of a crushing 59-run loss at the hands of Delhi Capitals. Set a target of 181 runs, DC were bowled out for just 121 runs. With their playoff fate already sealed, DC will be eyeing wins in their remaining games to bow out of the competition on a good note. On the other hand, the Delhi Capitals are already eliminated after the loss to Mumbai in the previous game. They will be keen to finish their season on a positive note. This promises to be a closely fought game.
PBKS vs DC : Head to Head
Out of the 34 games between the two teams so far, PBKS have won 17 while DC have won 16 while one match has ended in a no result.
| Matches Played | 34 |
| Won by Punjab Kings | 17 |
| Won by Delhi Capitals | 16 |
| No Result | 01 |
| First-ever Fixture | April 27, 2008 |
| Most-recent Fixture | May 08, 2025 |
PBKS vs DC : Pitch and Weather Report
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur has hosted five games in IPL 2025. The average first-innings total has been around 200. Three games have been won by teams batting first, while chasing teams have emerged victorious on a couple of occasions. The new ball could swing around for the first few overs and the opening batters will have to be wary. Once the shine goes away, runs could be scored for fun.
Another good batting surface as has been the norm this season. The bounce could be on the lower side and more skiddy in nature but batters have still been able to trust the pitches for their strokeplay. Bowlers will need to rely on pace variations to stay afloat. Jaipur is witnessing peak summer with temperatures in the high 40s, which could mean dry pitches but so far, the curator has done well to prevent them from deteriorating.
The average first-innings score at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium this IPL has been 200. So expect a high-scoring game once again. During the daytime, there is a warning for excessive heat. While it will be cooler in the evening, the mercury will still hover around 36°C.
PBKS vs DC : Big Picture : Punjab’s ( PBKS ) uncrowned kings aim on top 2 position in IPL 2025
Punjab Kings (PBKS) were 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs when their match against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala was aborted on May 8, and IPL 2025 was suspended for a week. The two teams will replay that game on Saturday, but this time at a neutral venue Jaipur, where a victory for PBKS will take them to the top of the points table.
A lot has changed, however, since that fixture on May 8. For instance, the Capitals were a playoffs contender at that point but have now been eliminated after their loss to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. With all the playoffs spots sealed, the question that remains is around which teams will lock the coveted top-two spots.
On form and the brand of cricket that they have played, PBKS will feel that they deserve to be one of those teams but even a win against DC might not be enough to assure that. Ultimately, a lot of it could all boil down to the PBKS-MI clash, which would be the season’s penultimate game.
PBKS had held a pre-season camp in Dharamsala to get acclimatised to their second home ground. But now they will play two crucial games at a third “home” venue. Their only advantage is that their previous game, against Rajasthan Royals, was also here, while DC are yet to play in Jaipur this season.
While PBKS have qualified for the playoffs, the race for a top-two finish is still open and defeats for Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the last two days have left them in a good position. If they win their remaining two games, they will finish No. 1.*
This is the first time since 2014 that PBKS have qualified for the playoffs. And this revival has been led by their uncapped Indian batters. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have given them explosive starts, Nehal Wadhera has played impactful knocks in the middle order and Shashank Singh has finished well towards the end. Add captain Shreyas Iyer to it and you have five batters with over 250 runs at a strike rate of over 150. They are the first team in IPL history to have five such batters in a season.
However, that is for later as the Kings would need to tick the first box, which is to get past a DC side that might feel liberated from the pressures of contesting for a playoffs berth. That pressure certainly told on them at the Wankhede where they lost the plot after making a strong start to the game.
Skipper Axar Patel’s absence was also a major factor but even then, DC had the chance to get the job done. Despite having a squad filled with talent, they have had an inconsistent season but with nothing to lose, they could upset Punjab’s party plans in Jaipur. PBKS’ batting approach and the depth that they have in power-hitting is unmatched this season and it will once again be their USP in this clash.
DC’s bowlers might still be reeling from the insane finish that Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir provided on an unusually tricky Wankhede surface. They’ll need to be on their money because this PBKS batting line up has already decimated many a bowling attack this season. With all their overseas contingent now available, the Kings look primed to pocket the two points in Jaipur but Delhi would dearly love to put a spanner in the works of their northern neighbours.
DC are now out of the race for the playoffs. They had started strongly, with five wins in six games. But then they had a reversal of fortunes and could win only one of their next seven. However, given how important this game is for PBKS, they will not take DC lightly.
PBKS vs DC : In the spotlight : Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul
Shreyas Iyer is the first captain to lead three IPL teams into the playoffs. He did it with DC in successive seasons, in 2019 and 2020, and led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title last year. Now he has done it with PBKS. With the bat, he has 435 runs at a strike rate of 174.69, which is almost 30 points higher than his strike rate last season. His strike rate of 182.19 in the non-powerplay overs is second only to Nicholas Pooran’s 211.51.
Like Shreyas, KL Rahul too has been out of India’s T20I side for a while now. Like Shreyas, he too has upped his strike rate this season. Unlike Shreyas, not being the captain seems to have brought the best out of him. Leading Lucknow Super Giants last year, he scored 520 runs at 136.12. This year, he is on 504 at 148.67 with one game to go. Can he ensure DC finish on a positive note
PBKS vs DC : Vital Stats that matters
- Axar has favourable match-ups against Prabhsimran and Inglis. Against Prabhsimran, he has conceded only 24 runs in 26 balls in the IPL while dismissing him once. And he has dismissed Inglis twice in 13 balls in all T20s while giving away just ten runs. So if he is fit to play, he could open the bowling.
- Shreyas has a strike rate of only 110.00 (33 runs in 30 balls, one dismissal) against Mustafizur Rahman in all T20 cricket.
- Rahul has struggled against Arshdeep Singh (31 runs off 25 balls, two dismissals) in the IPL but has a strike rate of 150.60 (125 off 83, one dismissal) against Yuzvendra Chahal.
- Chahal has had the upper hand against Faf du Plessis: 44 runs in 50 balls, three dismissals.
- KL Rahul is the only batter whose century came in a losing cause this IPL season, out of the six centurions so far this season
- Vipraj Nigam is in an elite company of all-rounders this season with 142 runs at a strike rate of 179.75 and having picked up nine wickets so far. He is only one among five other all-rounders this IPL to have scored more than 100 runs and picked over 8 wickets.
- KL Rahul has scored over 500 runs in seven of the last eight seasons, missing out only in 2023 when he scored 274 runs and had his season cut short due to injury.
- PBKS have scored over 200 runs six out of eight times when they have batted first. The only team to have scored as many 200+ scores batting first was KKR in IPL 2014.
PBKS vs DC : Team News for PBKS and DC
Punjab Kings
Injuries/Availability issues: The uncertainty around Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Hardie is over as the Aussie trio linked up with the squad on Tuesday, and are available for selection. So is the injury replacement Kyle Jamieson.
Shreyas did not field in the last game because of a finger injury. If things have not improved, he may once again play as Impact Player. Meanwhile, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis and Kyle Jamieson have (re)joined the squad. Inglis and Jameison could be straight swaps for Mitchell Owen and Xavier Bartlett, but picking one between Stoinis and Azmatullah Omarzai might not be as simple.
Tactics/Matchups: Harpreet Brar has been excellent against the left-handed batters despite being a left-arm spinner. He has picked four wickets against these type of batters in 30 balls with an average of 11 and a dot-ball percentage of 40%. He could be effective against the left-handed duo of Abishek Porel and Axar Patel of the Capitals.
PBKS Probable Playing XI : Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Mitchell Owen, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Player : Harpreet Brar
Delhi Capitals
Injury/Availability issues: Axar Patel missed the last game due to fever and there isn’t any clarity over the all-rounder’s availability with such a short turnaround between games. There is also a cloud over Vipraj Nigam’s fitness, given that the all-rounder was hobbling while batting. Mukesh Kumar was also battling cramps in that game but should be fine for this fixture.
Axar Patel did not train on the eve of the match as he is still recovering from the illness that forced him to miss the last game. If he remains unavailable, DC may give seam-bowling allrounder Madhav Tiwari another chance.
Tactics/Matchups: Kuldeep Yadav has been key to his team’s success in the IPL. Across all his wins in the IPL, he has averaged 19.36 at a strike-rate of 16.5. Even in the first five games, when DC were on a winning run, he picked 10 wickets at an average of 11.2 and an economy of 5.6. DC will hope the version of the Kuldeep at the start of the IPL turns up.
DC Probable Playing XI : Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul (WK), Abishek Porel, Axar Patel (C), Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman
Impact Player: Mukesh Kumar
PBKS vs DC Fantasy Playing XI : Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Arshdeep Singh, KL Rahul, Ashutosh Sharma , Axar Patel , Tristan Stubbs , Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav,
PBKS vs DC : Probable Best Player of the Match
Arshdeep Singh :
Arshdeep Singh had a forgettable outing against the Royals in the last game, conceding 60 runs in his four overs without picking up a wicket. The PBKS seamer tends to go for runs in some matches, but bounces back strongly every time. This season, he has bagged 16 wickets from 12 games at an average of 21.94. He will have a crucial role to play against the Capitals.
PBKS vs DC : Match Prediction
- If PBKS bat first, they are expected to post around 200-210. Their batters have performed consistently this season and will be confident of scoring big again, especially DC’s struggling attack.
- If DC bats first, they are expected to post around 170-180. DC’s batters have struggled with consistency this season and will be looking to deliver with the bat against PBKS.
Scenario 1
- Punjab Kings win the toss and bowl
- PP Score – 50-60
- DC – 180-190
- Punjab Kings win the match
Scenario 2
- Delhi Capitals win the toss and bowl
- PP score – 60-70
- PBKS – 200-210
- Punjab Kings win the match
Also Read: RR vs PBKS: A Winning Momentum- Harpreet Brar’s Masterclass Seals Punjab Kings Victory