Match 32 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will feature Delhi Capitals (DC), hit by COVID-19, and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday night. The game was initially scheduled to take place in Pune. However, after Mitchell Marsh and four members of the Delhi support staff tested positive on the Rapid Antigen Test conducted this week, the entire Delhi squad was put under strict observation and they were unable to travel to Pune.
Thankfully, in a fourth round of RT-PCR tests conducted on Tuesday morning, all of them tested negative and authorities decided to go ahead with this game but at an changed venue.
Delhi and Punjab have both won two and lost three of their last five matches. Now, as the midway of the tournament approaches, both teams will like to get rid of their inconsistency factor.
Punjab have been the most aggressive side in the Powerplay overs this side, scoring at 9.81 an over. At the same time, their scoring rate in death overs – 9.22 – has been the lowest. This is an aspect their team management will want to address. Barring Liam Livingstone, most other batters have struggled to maintain any momentum for a strong finish. Their likes of Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith have failed to make a significant impact. Mayank Agarwal, the regular captain, is unlikely to be available due to his injury.
Likely XIs
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Sarfraz Khan, Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Khaleel Ahmed
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal (c), Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Vaibhav Arora, Arshdeep Singh
Fantasy tips
- Back the power hitters of both sides – Warner, Shaw, Livingstone, Bairstow – to do big.
- The wicket may be a bit underprepared, considering the last minute change of venue. Back spinners like Kuldeep and Chahar to come handy on this used surface.
- Pant is due for a big score for a while and expect him to get some quick runs in this game.
Where to watch
Live streaming of Match 32 of IPL 2022 between Delhi Capitals (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will start at 7.30 PM IST on April 20. You can watch the match on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar.