Delhi Capitals will be desperate to arrest their slump and stay in contention for the playoffs when they take on a high-flying Punjab Kings in a crucial IPL match in Dharamsala on Thursday. DC have endured three losses and a no result due to rain in their last five games, and are currently placed fifth on the table with 13 points from 11 matches. The Axar Patel-led side had a disappointing time at home, managing just one win — that too via a Super Over — at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

A team that won its first four matches would have hoped that a change of venue would bring a change in fortune, but DC’s batting unit disintegrated against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last game in Hyderabad before rain washed out the contest.

It was a complete top order collapse as DC lost half their side for 29, and it was only due to the brilliance of Ashutosh Sharma that they managed a respectable 133.

DC’s top order has looked vulnerable. Karun Nair’s promotion as an opener in the last game backfired as he was dismissed for a duck, while South African stalwart Faf du Plessis, who seemed to have returned to form, also perished early trying to force a boundary on a bowler-friendly pitch.

Abishek Porel has failed to capitalise on his starts, leaving DC high and dry. KL Rahul, their leading run-getter this season with 381 runs, too couldn’t steady the innings. Axar himself was dismissed early.

However, DC still have depth in their batting line-up, and it was the effort of Tristan Stubbs, bowling all-rounder Vipraj Nigam, and Ashutosh that helped them post a fighting total.

The wicket at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is likely to be conducive to batting, having produced a high-scoring game between PBKS and Lucknow Super Giants earlier, offering the DC batters a chance to regain form.

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have been sensational this season, winning seven and losing just three of their 11 matches to sit just outside the top two in the standings.

While DC’s batting has been inconsistent, Punjab’s top order has been rock solid, with Prabhsimran Singh providing flying starts and accumulating 437 runs as an opener.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer has been immaculate with the bat and astute as captain. He has scored 405 runs, including four fifties. That he has struck the second-most sixes (27) this IPL reflects his impact in the middle overs.

Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title last year, has kept his new team PBKS on track with sharp game awareness and leadership.

Priyansh Arya, with 347 runs, has made the most of his chances, while Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh have stepped up when required.

It will be interesting to see how DC’s bowling attack — comprising Mitchell Starc and the spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Vipraj Nigam — cope with PBKS’s firepower. The team will expect more from pace duo Dushmantha Chameera and Mukesh Kumar. PBKS, meanwhile, look formidable with the ball. Arshdeep Singh has been exceptional with the new ball, taking 16 wickets, including three in the last game against LSG.

The return to form of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has taken 14 wickets including a hat-trick against CSK, has further bolstered Punjab’s bowling attack. The rest of the attack — Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Marcus Stoinis — has complemented the duo well.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)