IPL 2026: PBKS take on struggling DC in Dharamsala
What's the story
Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in match number 55 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The clash is scheduled to be held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Monday. PBKS started off well this season with six wins in their first seven matches but have since suffered three consecutive losses. DC, meanwhile, have just four wins and seven losses. Here is the match preview.
DC's situation
Morale low for DC
Having lost five of their last six games, Delhi Capitals are all but out of the playoff race. While their batters have struggled on slow and turning surfaces, the bowlers have also looked ineffective, with Kuldeep Yadav's form being the major concern. Coming to DC, each of their top four batters has been among massive runs. The team has been struggling with catching and leaking runs from their pace bowlers lately.
Past encounters
A look at head-to-head record
Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals have faced each other 35 times in the IPL, as per ESPNcricinfo. Out of these, PBKS has won 18 matches while DC has emerged victorious on 17 occasions. One of DC's wins came via the Super Over. Meanwhile, PBKS chased down 265 when these two sides met earlier this season. This remains the highest successful chase in IPL history.
Pitch report
Pitch report and other details
The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala is known for its batting-friendly pitches. The ball comes onto the bat perfectly and due to the high altitude, the air is thinner, offering less resistance to the ball and making it easier for batsmen to hit sixes. This will be the first match of the season at this venue. Meanwhile, the match will begin at 7:30pm IST and will be broadcast on JioStar Network channels. It can also be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
Line-ups
Here are the probable XIIs
PBKS (Probable XII): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal. DC (Probable XII): KL Rahul (WK), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (C), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav.
Performers
Here are the key performers
KL Rahul played a majestic 152*-run knock against PBKS earlier in the season. Averaging 47-plus, Shreyas Iyer has racked up 333 runs this season at a strike rate of 164.03. Priyansh Arya's strike rate of 242.37 is the best among batters with at least 100 runs this season. Axar Patel's 10 wickets in IPL 2026 have come at a fine economy of 8.08. With 11 wickets at an economy of 10.42, Arshdeep Singh is PBKS's leading wicket-taker in IPL 2026.
Poll
