The second match of IPL 2024 will get underway at Punjab Kings’ new stadium in Chandigarh against their neighbouring rivals, Delhi Capitals, on Saturday (March 23). While Rishabh Pant’s return to competitive cricket after more than a year is set to make headlines, two teams beginning their new season with a common goal is what makes this contest mouth-watering. Here is the match preview and result prediction of the PBKS vs DC IPL game to be played.

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Pant’s return to headline DC opener

Having survived a serious road accident in late 2022, ace India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant making his return to the cricket field will be a story in itself. The left-handed batter will captain the side in his first game since December 2022 and might keep wickets, going by their latest training session on the match eve.

Delhi’s top order will again hog all the limelight, with strong hitters like David Warner, Prithvi Shaw and Mitchell Marsh in their XI. While DC will need to address their missing firepower in the lower middle order, they need to pick between Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs for their tournament opener.

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In the absence of Anrich Nortje and Jhye Richardson for the game against PBKS, Delhi will need the local players to step up and deliver. Their all-rounder Axar Patel will again hold the keys in this crucial game.

All eyes on Bairstow, Rabada

The home side will begin the new season at their new home stadium in Mullanpur, whose square and straight boundaries are longer than in Mohali, where they just won one out of the six games played last season.

However, given the addition of the new rule, which now allows bowlers to bowl two bouncers per over, the PBKS seamers will enjoy their time in implementing it against hard-hitting DC batters. 

With all eyes on the seam-bowling pair of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh, Sam Curran and Harshal will also enjoy bowling their back-of-the-hand slower ones. 

Meanwhile, the returning Jonny Bairstow will be the player to look out for.

Head-to-Head record

Of 32 matches played, both teams have won against each other 16 times.

Result Prediction

Punjab Kings might enter the contest with home support on their back, while Delhi, with a relatively balanced squad, will walk in as favourites. 

Predicted Playing XIs –

PBKS – Shikhar Dhawan (c), Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Sam Curran, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada and Harshal Patel 

Arshdeep Singh (Impact Player)

DC – David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c &wk), Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed

Ricky Bhui (Impact Player)

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