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The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will hope that a new home venue in Mullanpur brings about new fortunes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Few teams have been as underwhelming as the Kings over the years, with the franchise having only one final appearance and barely any playoff appearances to show for.
The Delhi Capitals (DC), who PBKS will face in the afternoon fixture on Saturday, March 23, are another side that haven't lived up to expectations. The last three seasons have been somewhat disappointing, and the Capitals will need to play out of their skins this year to secure a playoff berth.
After the glitz and glamor of the IPL 2024 season opener, which featured arguably the two most high-profile teams in the competition, a PBKS vs DC clash might seem a touch underwhelming. That isn't the case, though, because of the impending return of one of the game's most mercurial characters, Rishabh Pant.
Having been cleared to keep wickets, Pant's return to the DC middle order will be the major talking point in Mullanpur. How will he fare? Will he be fit? Will he be in form? There are plenty of questions that only time will reveal the answers to.
Punjab, meanwhile, will look to fly under the radar and hopefully pick up two points to kickstart their campaign. They've lost four of their last five matches against DC, so the signs aren't great, but they have fewer question marks regarding the composition of their side and have a full roster to pick from.
Can PBKS spoil Pant's return? Or will DC, led by their returning dasher, make their opposition's housewarming party a damp squib?
IPL 2024, PBKS vs DC: Capitals struggle with absences against bolstered Kings
Jake Fraser-McGurk has been making waves in the DC nets and could make his IPL debut against PBKS, given that he has the complete faith of the team management. Him taking up an overseas slot could work well for the Capitals, who are expected to be without Anrich Nortje and Jhye Richardson for this encounter.
Punjab, meanwhile, have a settled combination that is mostly similar to the one they fielded last year. Harshal Patel is a valuable addition, and the pace attack now wears a well-rounded look. Harshal will be partnered by Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran.
Shikhar Dhawan hasn't played a ton of top-level cricket lately, so he might struggle to come to terms with the high-octane nature of the IPL. At the same time, though, DC are lacking wheels in the pace attack, and that could play into the PBKS skipper's hands.
Delhi somewhat make up for their shortcomings in the pace department with one of the best spin pairings in the league, but the new stadium is unlikely to produce a low and slow wicket. The team with the better bowling attack should have a big advantage, and that's inarguably PBKS.
Pant's return could work in DC's favor in more ways than one, and it won't be a surprise at all to see the skipper revitalize his team's fortunes. But while it is difficult to predict a winner without seeing either team play, it's safe to say that PBKS have ticked off more boxes.
Prediction: PBKS to win Match 2 of IPL 2024.
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