Revitalized Punjab aim for a hattrick of wins as they take on table-topping Delhi Capitals

How much of a difference a week can make. Just ask Kings XI Punjab. Punjab have been an enigma of sorts this season. Languishing at the bottom of the table, looking like they could catch a cold in the desert before they could buy a win, Punjab two games later have won 2 in 2, both against teams in the top 3. Now, as they prepare to take on the table-toppers Delhi Capitals, a win would catapult them into the fifth position on the points table, putting them well in the conversation to clinch the fourth spot. The Delhi Capitals on the other hand will be gunning for the eighth win of the season, which more often than not, guarantees a playoff spot.

The Punjab opening pair sit at the pinnacle of the highest run-scorers in the Dream11 IPL 2020. KL Rahul steers well clear of his opening partner Mayank Agarwal by 132 runs. Meanwhile, Chris Gayle at number 3 ensures the batting strength is not diluted in case one of the openers has an off-day, which for Punjab has been a rarity this season. Nicholas Pooran has been one of the standouts in the Punjab middle-order. Glen Maxwell is yet to fire, and on the day he does, will prove to be hard to stop.

Maxwell, however, has been giving them good 4 overs. A couple in the powerplay and the rest in the middle overs is a huge bonus to the side which has decided to bench Sheldon Cottrell to accommodate Chris Gayle. Mohammed Shami’s exploits in the super over, matching Jasprit Bumrah yorker for yorker with such aplomb would have been a real confidence-booster. Alongside a death-overs specialist in Chris Jordon, Punjab have the ingredients to keep their opponents quiet at the fag end of the innings.

The Delhi Capitals are on a roll. The only team in the tournament to have lost only 2 matches this far sit deservedly at the top of the pile. Shikhar Dhawan has hit form, scoring 3 consecutive half-centuries, capping off the three with a century in his last innings, guiding Delhi in a nervy run-chase against the Chennai Superkings. The encouraging sign for Delhi would be that they have had different players put their hands up and win games for them over the course of the 9 games. The South African pace-bowling duo impress more and more with every passing game.

Delhi despite all their wins appear to have more left in their tank. They have not had a significant contribution from Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw, while the injured Rishabh Pant is yet to leave his mark on the tournament. On an evening when Axar Patel did not have the best of days with the ball, he more than made up by finishing the chase off with a 5-ball 21 with 3 sixes in the final over against Ravindra Jadeja.

The last time the two teams from North faced each other, the game ended in a tie after a rollercoaster of a game. Mayank Agarwal carried the Punjab chase, only for them to falter at the final hurdle. Delhi pipped Punjab in the Super over, all thanks to the exploits of Kagiso Rabada in the season opener for the two teams. The two teams return to the same venue, both of them aiming for a hattrick of wins. While a loss to Punjab will hurt more than it would the Capitals, neither team would be willing to give an inch to secure the two points.