The 64th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 will take place on Wednesday, May 17, in Dharamsala, where the Punjab Kings (PBKS) will lock horns with the Delhi Capitals (DC). It is the penultimate league game of the season for both teams. Punjab Kings are eighth in the IPL 2023 points table right now, having registered six wins from 12 matches. The Mohali-based franchise is still alive in the race to the playoffs.
They need to win their remaining two league matches by big margins to stand a chance to reach the playoffs. On the other side, the Delhi Capitals have already been eliminated from the competition. DC will aim to try out some of their benched players before the IPL 2023 league stage ends.
Here’s a look at the 3 player matchups which may decide the result of the IPL 2023 match:
#1 Mitchell Marsh vs Rahul Chahar
In the reverse fixture, Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar destroyed DC’s batting lineup by taking six wickets. Chahar dismissed Mitchell Marsh. The hard-hitting Australian all-rounder was trapped in front of his stumps by the PBKS leg-spinner. The two players will likely go head-to-head in the middle overs of the Delhi Capitals innings. It will be interesting to see if Chahar gets the better of Marsh for the second time in the space of four days.
#2 David Warner vs Rishi Dhawan
DC skipper, David Warner has been the highest run-scorer for the team. In the reverse fixture, he blasted a 27-ball 54 at the top of the order. However, his knock ended in a losing cause. Meanwhile, the Punjab Kings will hope that Rishi Dhawan dismisses Warner cheaply. Dhawan conceded 10 runs off the only over that he bowled in the previous game against DC. The conditions in Dharamsala will help the fast bowlers a bit. Hence, Dhawan will have the onus of scalping Warner’s wicket early.
#3 Prabhsimran Singh vs Khaleel Ahmed
Prabhsimran Singh won the Player of the Match award in the reverse fixture. He slammed his maiden IPL ton to help his team beat DC by 31 runs. Singh will aim to play another big knock for the Kings on Wednesday in IPL 2023. Meanwhile, DC will expect that their new-ball bowler Khaleel Ahmed takes advantage of the pace-friendly conditions in Dharamsala and dismisses the PBKS opener cheaply. Ahmed bowled a spell of 0/36 in his last game against PBKS.
