On Saturday, May 13, the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will square off at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the 59th game of the IPL 2023.
Both teams will be vying for the crucial two points available as they enter the game with losses under their belts. PBKS have five victories out of 11 games, while DC have four victories and are stuck at the bottom of the standings.
The two teams will try to win all of their remaining games because they still have a slim chance of making it to the top four.
With five straight defeats, the Capitals had a terrible start to their season. Before losing to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their final game, they managed to turn things around with a few victories. They fell short by 27 runs in their attempt to bring down 168.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated The Kings in a nail-biting game that came down to the final ball. At the renowned Eden Gardens, Rinku Singh hit a boundary off the final ball of the game, bowled by Arshdeep Singh, to assist the Knight Riders in chasing 180 runs. To keep their chances of making the playoffs, PBKS will try to play at their peak level.
Given the short boundaries offered, there will be a huge opportunity for batters to score more runs later tonight at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, which has produced high-scoring games in the past.
So, let’s look at the top three run scorers in today’s game between DC and PBKS
1. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan, the captain of PBKS, had a fantastic start to his IPL 2023 season and at one point was at the top of the Orange Cap list. However, after recovering from an injury, he noticed a decline in form.
The southpaw did, however, score a half-century against the Knight Riders, and with momentum on his side, expect Dhawan to play another significant knock on Saturday.
The left-handed batter’s extensive cricket experience at the Arun Jaitley Stadium will be a huge advantage for him as Punjab looks to get back to winning ways.
2 David Warner
Although his strike rate was below average, DC captain David Warner had a strong start to his IPL 2023 season. The top Australian batter experienced a sudden deterioration in performance and has had trouble getting going in recent games.
If Warner gets going, Punjab’s bowlers may be in for a challenging night because he is a different animal when he is up against the wall.
In 33 games, the left-handed batter has accumulated 907 runs, including a century and two fifty-sixes, for a stellar record at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
3. Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone, a PBKS batter, has fluctuated in performance throughout IPL 2023. With one half-century along the way, he has amassed 172 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 163 points 80.
If the Englishman can overcome his issues with spinners, expect Livingstone to be among the runs against DC. The Englishman has struggled against spinners in this year’s IPL.
The Punjab think tank will also need their star player to perform well if they hope to make the playoffs.
