Delhi : PBKS will aim to continue their dominant unbeaten run this season, while DC will look to bounce back at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, after a heavy and disappointing defeat in their previous match. A major boost for DC is the return of Mitchell Starc, and there is strong anticipation regarding his availability for today’s match.
However, there is still no official confirmation regarding his availability for today’s match. Starc’s arrival was delayed in IPL 2026 due to shoulder and elbow injuries. Following his recovery, Cricket Australia officially cleared him to join Delhi Capitals on 23 April 2026. In his absence, Delhi Capitals’ pace attack has been led by Mukesh Kumar, T. Natarajan, and Lungi Ngidi. At the moment, Starc is unlikely to feature in the immediate home game against Punjab Kings on 25 April. Instead, he is expected to play his first match of IPL 2026 for Delhi Capitals on 1 May against Rajasthan Royals.
Punjab Kings, the table-toppers, continue their unbeaten run with 11 points. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the team has become more balanced, confident, and powerful. In their last match, PBKS registered the highest total of the season, scoring 254 runs and successfully defending it with authority.
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals have had a fluctuating and inconsistent campaign. In six matches, they have won three and lost three. In their last three games, they managed one win and suffered two defeats. They currently sit in 6th position with 6 points. Earlier, they played two matches at their home ground—winning one against MI and losing another against GT by just 1 run. Their main concern remains batting consistency, as the top order often collapses quickly. While their pace bowling has performed well, the spin department has looked slightly inconsistent. In their last match, they were badly defeated by SRH. Now, facing the table-toppers, DC will need to significantly improve their batting performance and overall stability to bounce back in the tournament.
There is also a strong head-to-head balance between the two teams, with both PBKS and DC having played 34 matches and winning 17 each.
Punjab Kings Squad:
Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad, Lockie Ferguson.
Punjab Kings Playing XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Delhi Capitals Squad:
KL Rahul, Karun Nair, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Nitish Rana, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Auqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Yadav.
Delhi Capitals Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel (c), Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar.
Impact Player: T. Natarajan
The weather in Delhi is expected to be extremely hot on 25 April, with temperatures likely around 41–43°C at the start of the afternoon match. The temperature may gradually dip slightly as the game progresses, with low humidity and dry atmospheric conditions typical of a heatwave. There is no forecast of rain, so interruptions are highly unlikely, and a full match is expected. The pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium is expected to be a typical Delhi surface—dry, hard, and batting-friendly at the start, especially in an afternoon game. Early on, batters can take advantage of the good bounce and pace to play their shots freely, making it ideal for high scoring. However, as the match progresses, the surface is likely to slow down and become slightly abrasive, bringing spinners into play. The hot and dry conditions may assist grip and turn, making stroke play more challenging in the later stages. Overall, it is expected to be a balanced contest where teams batting first may aim for a strong total, while spinners could play a crucial role in the second innings.
This clash promises to be an exciting encounter—DC will look to bounce back strongly, while PBKS aim to continue their unbeaten streak.
