The 18th season of the Indian Premier League is nearing its climax as teams battle to secure the best positions for the playoffs. Punjab Kings, already qualified for the playoffs, will face Delhi Capitals on May 24 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, with an opportunity to clinch a top-two finish.

After a long wait of 11 years, Punjab Kings have confirmed their place in the playoffs this season. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the team has shown consistent form. Key contributions from emerging talents such as Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, and Shashank Singh have also been instrumental, highlighting the depth of the squad.

What to Expect from the Pitch

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium traditionally offers a balanced contest between bat and ball. Over the last 10 matches at the venue, the average first-innings score is 178 runs. Historically, teams chasing totals have held a slight advantage, winning 60% of games, making it a venue where setting a target is considered beneficial.

Head-to-Head Battle :

Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals have met 33 times in IPL history, with Punjab Kings winning 17 matches. However, Delhi Capitals have had the upper hand in recent encounters, winning three of the last five meetings.

This match presents Punjab Kings with an opportunity not only to strengthen their playoff position but also to continue the momentum they have built throughout the season. A win here would reinforce their status as one of the tournament’s most consistent sides and set a strong tone heading into the playoffs.

Punjab Kings Squad:

Harnoor Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Owen, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Josh Inglis (wk), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vishnu Vinod (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen Dubey, Kyle Jamieson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Delhi Capitals Squad:

Ashutosh Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Sediqullah Atal, Tristan Stubbs, Ajay Mandal, Axar Patel (c), Madhav Tiwari, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Vipraj Nigam, Abishek Porel (wk), Donovan Ferreira (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Darshan Nalkande, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman, and T Natarajan.