Picking a combined PBKS-DC playing XI for IPL 2024 ft. Arshdeep Singh, Mitchell Marsh

Punjab Kings (PBKS) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in match number two of IPL 2024 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh on Saturday, March 23.

This will be the first game of a double-header. Kolkata Knight Riders (KRR) face SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the second game of the day at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Both Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs last season. PBKS finished eighth with 12 points, winning six and losing eight games. DC, meanwhile, ended ninth, with 10 points, winning only five games and losing nine.

While Punjab have retained Shikhar Dhawan as cptain despite the team failing to perform to potential last season, Delhi will be buoyed by the return of their captain Rishabh Pant.

Pant is making his comeback to competitive cricket, having recovered from multiple injuries sustained in a horrific car accident in December 2022. Ahead of the PBKS-DC clash on Saturday, we pick a combined Punjab-Delhi XI for IPL 2024.

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Openers: Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner

Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan (Pic: iplt20.com)

Dhawan and David Warner, who have opened together for SunRisers Hyderabad and tasted pretty good success, would be the opening batters in the combined PBKS-DC XI.

Dhawan had a mixed season last year, scoring 373 runs in 11 games at an average of 41.44 and a strike rate of 142.91, with three half-centuries. The veteran will be keen to come up with a much more consistent effort this time.

Warner led DC in Pant's absence in IPL 2023. While the team as a whole struggled, the Australian batter gave a good account of himself. He contributed 516 runs in 14 games at an average of 36.68 and a strike rate of 131.63, with six half-centuries.

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Middle-order/ All-rounders: Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Lalit Yadav, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel

Axar Patel celebrates a wicket during IPL 2023. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Mitchell Marsh has been brilliant for Australia with the bat over the last 12-15 months. He contributed significantly to the team's 2023 ODI World Cup triumph.

The all-rounder has been rewarded for his consistent performances by being named the T20I captain recently. Marsh struggled with the bat in IPL 2023, scoring only 128 runs in nine games, but he has been a different player since then.

Pant will make a much-awaited comeback to competitive cricket when DC take on PBKS on Saturday. There are no doubts about his talent irrespective of his performances. However, considering all that he has gone through in the last 14 months, there will be plenty of intrigue over how Pant performs in IPL 2024.

Lalit Yadav is someone who can chip in with both the bat and ball. He has played a few handy cameos for DC in the last couple of seasons and has picked up some crucial wickets as well. Liam Livingstone would have been a better choice in the combined XI but missed out due to the cap on overseas players.

The Hard-hitting Jitesh Sharma made a significant impact for PBKS with his dazzling cameos in IPL 2023. He contributed 309 runs in 14 games at an impressive strike rate of 156.06. Sharma could also keep wickets if Pant needs a breather.

Axar Patel keeps growing in stature. He made crucial contributions for Delhi with both bat and ball in IPL 2023. The all-rounder scored 283 runs at a strike rate of nearly 140 and claimed 11 wickets with his left-arm spin at an economy rate of 7.19.

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Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Arshdeep Singh

Punjab Kings fast bowler Kagiso Rabada (Pic: iplt20.com)

Experienced South African speedster Kagiso Rabada picked up only seven wickets in six games for PBKS last season. However, with a brilliant IPL record - 106 wickets in 69 games at an average of 20.74 - he's an easy pick in the Punjab-Delhi combined XI for IPL 2024.

DC left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav also finds a place in the team. The 29-year-old has been in excellent form in both white-ball and red-ball cricket recently. He picked up 10 scalps in 14 games for Delhi last year but will be confident of much better returns this time.

Anrich Nortje and Arshdeep Singh would join Rabada in the pace department in the combined XI. When fit, Nortje is a genuine match-winner with the ball. He has 53 scalps in 40 IPL games. Arshdeep is a key figure in the Punjab bowling line-up. In 14 games last season, claiming 17 wickets at an average of 29.