IPL 2026, PBKS vs DC 55th Match Match Preview – PBKS and DC clash in Dharamsala aiming to avoid another L
Big picture: PBKS look to bounce back
When Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered their first defeat of IPL 2026, in their eighth match of the season, head coach Ricky Ponting lifted the mood in the dressing room by saying they were still at the top of the points table. Their captain Shreyas Iyer repeated the line after another loss in the following match. But PBKS have now lost three in a row and are no longer top of the table.Their defeats do not seem to have a pattern, though. Against Rajasthan Royals, they failed to defend 222. Batting first against Gujarat Titans, they made only 163 for 9. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they failed to chase down 236. Their fielding, however, has been substandard in those performances. As per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, PBKS have dropped 16 catches, with Shashank Singh alone shelling five. Only Chennai Super Kings (17) have fared worse.Their start to the season was so strong, though, that they will reclaim the top spot if they beat Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday in Dharamsala, their second home. A fourth consecutive defeat, however, could jeopardise their chances of finishing in the top two.DC are also struggling, having lost five of their last six games. After their most recent defeat, their captain Axar Patel said they would look to prepare for next season and try out their bench strength. While DC still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, Axar’s comments gave us insight on his view of his team’s prospects.Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday means DC will be out of the playoffs race if they lose to PBKS. Earlier in the season, when the two sides met in Delhi, PBKS pulled off the highest successful chase in T20 cricket, chasing down 265 with seven balls to spare. Can DC lift themselves up and make it 1-1 for the season?
Punjab Kings LLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Delhi Capitals LLWLL
Team news: Omarzai joins PBKS squad
With Azmatullah Omarzai having joined the squad, PBKS fast-bowling coach James Hopes hinted they could “switch things up a little bit” and play Harpreet Brar as the second spinner.
Punjab Kings (probable): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Cooper Connolly, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Shashank Singh, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Harpreet Brar, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Vijaykumar Vyshak
Since DC are not yet out of the playoffs race, they may hold off testing their bench strength and field an unchanged side.
Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Sameer Rizvi, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Axar Patel (capt), 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Vipraj Nigam, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Lungi Ngidi, 12 Mukesh Kumar
In the spotlight: Arshdeep Singh and KL Rahul
Arshdeep Singh is having one of his worst IPL seasons. In seven out of ten games, he has had an economy rate of more than ten. In the other three games, his economy rate was eight or less, but PBKS need him to be more consistent as the leader of their pace attack.KL Rahul has been one of the few bright lights in an otherwise gloomy season for DC. He is currently the third highest run-getter in the tournament with 468 runs at a strike rate of 180.00. His tally includes three half-centuries and an unbeaten 152 against PBKS. Can he give his side another strong start on Monday?
Stats and trivia: Arshdeep vs DC openers
Since the start of 2023, teams batting first have won four of the five IPL games played in Dharamsala. So bowling first may not be as straightforward a choice after winning the toss. There is a chance of scattered showers during the day but it should not threaten the game. The temperature will be around 14°C in the evening.
“Last night it was damp on the ground, but the ball wasn’t getting wet so to speak, so it was slippery as opposed to dewy. I think the strategy is going to be what it normally is every game in this tournament: the captain who wins the toss bowls. But we have looked at the numbers and there is a little bit leaning towards batting first, but we’ll have to assess the conditions when we get here tomorrow.”
Punjab Kings fast-bowling coach James Hopes
“[Our season] has been inconsistent. I think we sit here now and you look at a few games where we had our opportunities, and I think when you play in the IPL and at the highest level of cricket against world-class players, you have to take those moments, and we probably haven’t done that ruthlessly enough.”
DC assistant coach Ian Bell
