IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals strongest predicted playing XI against Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to host Delhi Capitals (DC) in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, at Mullanpur in Chandigarh, on Friday, March 23.

The spotlight in this encounter will be on Rishabh Pant. The charismatic wicketkeeper-batter is set to make a comeback to competitive cricket, 15 months after encountering a near-fatal car accident. Pant is one of the most popular young cricketers on the Indian circuit. Emotions are surely going to run high when he is going to lead his side onto the field after David Warner took charge last season.

In IPL 2023, the Capitals finished at No. 9 on the points table. They managed to win just five and lost nine out of their 14 matches. With Pant back at the helm, the Capitals will look to forget the nightmares of last year and give other teams a run for their money.

Click Here: PBKS vs DC Live Score, Match 2

In the IPL 2024 auction, Delhi roped in a total of nine players. Interestingly, four out of them are able to keep wickets. Harry Brook was an exciting buy for them but the young England player opted to skip the tournament to be with his grieving family following the death of his grandmother last month. However, there are quite a few talented cricketers in their setup that can take them the distance.

Here’s Delhi Capital's predicted playing XI against Punjab Kings:

Openers: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner

Prithvi Shaw had a devastating season last year as he managed to score just 106 runs from eight matches at a paltry average of 13.25. He was also dropped midway through the season before making a comeback for the last couple of games. The diminutive batter has the ability to disrupt the opposition's plans with his flamboyant batting inside the powerplay. Shaw looked in decent touch during the Ranji Trophy 2024 and will look to put on a show in the IPL.

David Warner is one of the finest players to have played in the IPL. He recently retired from Tests and ODIs and with the pressure of captaincy no longer being there this season, fans could see him at his best. Last year, the southpaw scored 516 runs from 14 matches at an average of 36.86 and a strike rate of 131.63. If Warner and Shaw are in form, they could be the opening pair to watch out for.

Also Check: IPL 2024 Orange Cap

Middle Order: Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Yash Dhull, Tristan Stubbs

It would be unfair to expect Pant to go all guns blazing from his first game as he is returning after such a long break. However, he is known to surprise fans by pulling off some special feats. The 26-year-old has played 98 IPL matches and scored 2,838 runs at an average of 34.61 and a strike rate of 147.97. Pant would like to spend some time at the crease before cutting loose.

Yash Dhull is one of the most exciting uncapped players in the league. Things haven't always been rosy for the right-handed batter after he led the Indian U-19 team to a World Cup win in 2022. He was dropped from the North Zone side last year. In January, he was removed from captaincy of the Delhi team after a nine-wicket loss to Puducherry at home. However, the youngster will be hoping to shrug off the disappointments and let his bat do the talking in IPL 2024. Last year, he played four matches for the Capitals but couldn't make any impact.

Tristan Stubbs spent the last couple of seasons at Mumbai Indians but only played four matches. However, there is a possibility of him getting good game time at the Delhi Capitals. The aggressive batter has played 17 T20Is for the Proteas and scored 239 runs at a strike rate of 155.19. If he gets going, fans will be in for a treat as the 23-year-old can play some breathtaking strokes.

All-rounders - Mitchell Marsh, Axar Patel

An in-form Mitchell Marsh is an invaluable asset to any team. He can make the best bowlers in world cricket look ordinary on his day. With the ball, he has the pleasant knack of picking crucial wickets. Marsh, who captained Australia to a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand in a T20I series last month, scored just 128 runs in nine games last season for Delhi. However, he fared well with the ball, picking up 12 wickets at 14.17. The Capitals fans will hope that Marsh brings his A-game with both bat and ball this season.

Axar Patel has improved immensely in recent years and has become a reliable member of the DC setup. He played some fine knocks last year and the fans and experts were crying out for him to get a promotion in the batting order. However, the management continued to back the struggling middle-order batters. Axar scored 283 runs at an average of 28.30 and a strike rate of 139.41, last year. With the ball, the left-arm spinner took 11 wickets at an average of 30.73 and an economy rate of 7.19.

Also Check: Punjab vs Delhi, Match 2 - MPL Opinio Prediction

Bowlers - Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar

Anrich Nortje is arguably the quickest bowler in world cricket at the moment. However, he has been struggling with injuries for quite some time. His fitness is going to be a concern but if he is able to bowl at full tilt, he can cause some serious problems for the batters. The right-arm pacer has played 40 IPL games and picked up 53 wickets at an average of 24.15. If Nortje can stay fit, he will be a force to reckon with.

Kuldeep Yadav went through a difficult patch during the latter stages of his time at Kolkata Knight Riders. However, in the last couple of years, he has fared much better. IPL 2022 was his best season with the ball as he bagged 21 wickets in 14 games. Last year, he took 10 wickets from 14 games but conceded runs at an economy rate of lower than 7.50 for the first time in an IPL season. He will be riding a wave of confidence after his impressive performances against England in the recently concluded Test series.

Khaleel Ahmed can be quite a handful on his day. The left-arm seamer can bowl at pace and also swing the new ball around. He didn't have one of his better seasons last year. In nine games, he bagged nine wickets at an economy rate of 9.12. However, he has the experience of playing 43 IPL matches and 14 T20Is. A strong season could catapult him into contention for a spot in India's limited-overs setup.

Mukesh Kumar has represented India in all three formats since making his IPL debut last year for Delhi. He has gone for runs on some occasions during his T20 career but has shown the ability to find the blockhole in crunch moments. His performances in the death overs will be keenly watched as India look for Jasprit Bumrah's seam-bowling partners in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Also Check: IPL 2024 Purple Cap

DC Predicted Playing XI:

Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Yash Dhull, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar