IPL 2025, PBKS vs DC Live Updates: Shreyas Iyer wins delayed toss, Punjab bat first

PBKS vs DC IPL 2025 Live Updates, Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals: Rain appeared just minutes before the original scheduled time for toss and a crucial late league stage fixture between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was delayed by more than an hour. That match is now scheduled to start at 8.30pm IST but no overs have been reduced. ...Read More

The playoff picture could be decided with an absolutely critical contest in the shadows of the Himalayas, where a North Indian Derby in IPL 2025. It is a fairly simple equation when it comes down to it: a loss likely spells the end of the IPL season for Delhi Capitals, all but confirming Punjab Kings in the playoffs, while a win for the travelling DC unit could vault them as high as third in the table, suddenly in a great position to go through to the knockout fixtures.

It has been a tough last couple of weeks for DC: in their last five matches, they have lost three games, and won only once. They got extremely lucky with a point in the rain-abandoned match against SRH, a match their batting capitulated in. The rain gods came through for DC, rescuing a point and keeping them in a fairly solid position where their fate is in their own hands. All the momentum has been going against Delhi: a vulnerable top order that has chopped and changed has been their biggest problem, meaning their batting has stuttered even as their middle order has been amongst the best in the competition. Add to this KL Rahul’s early season form being on the wane, and there are questions to answer — but KL has enjoyed his time against his former teams this tournament. Does he have something special in store for another one from his history?

PBKS have been one of the more impressive teams this tournament, with the leadership group of Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer bringing a strong sense of identity and unity to a team that has hungered towards one for years. A dashing domestic core of batting, quality in their seam bowling, the deepest batting order in the tournament, all have made for a team that are exciting to watch and also geared towards winning T20 games. They look like a team that are always going to be difficult to contain, capable of attacking cricket throughout their batting innings and with quality bowling in all phases of the game. Captain Iyer is another player who faces off against a former team, and the same goes for coach Ponting: these two are a pair who forged their connection whilst at Delhi. Does their former team have a response to their hot-streak of form, or will knowledge of what to expect give them an edge, particularly at home?

Dharamsala proved to be a seamer’s paradise in the first game of the season against LSG, with Arshdeep Singh in particular enjoying life against LSG’s terrific top order. With DC scratching their heads about finding the right combination in that portion of their batting unit, Arshdeep as well as Marco Jansen will be licking their lips: this is a batting unit short on confidence and looking for answers. This is not a pace combination they want to be running into. But DC will likely have answers of their own: Mitchell Starc will enjoy this kind of pitch if he can find his lengths early, as will someone like Mukesh Kumar. But given how spin dependent DC have proven to be in the last few years of IPL cricket, whether Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel can find some joy remains to be seen. They have the tall ask of containing the likes of Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer, and even if that goes to plan, Punjab has plenty of batting that can cause damage.

Can DC stay alive and kicking in the tournament with a statement win, or will PBKS take advantage of their quiet run to all but knock them out and put themselves in a strong position to seal a spot in the top two?

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