3 player battles to watch out for in DC vs PBKS, Match 59 in IPL 2023

The Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the 59th match of the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) on Saturday, May 13. It will be an evening contest that kicks off at 7:30 pm (IST).

The hosts Delhi are currently the wooden spooners of the tournament, winning just four out of their 11 fixtures so far. While they have the slimmest chance of making it to the playoffs, they would want to come out on top in their remaining games.

Punjab, on the other, have five wins from 11 matches and are placed eighth in the points table. The clash between the two teams promises to be a high-octane one, as both sides will go out all guns blazing in the must-win affair.

DC suffered a 27-run loss against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their previous outing, failing to chase down a 168-run target. PBKS also faced a defeat in their most recent appearance, losing to Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets.

Ahead of the crucial DC vs PBKS game, here's a look at three player battles to watch out for.

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#1 David Warner vs Arshdeep Singh

DC skipper David Warner has been a lone warrior for this team for the most part of the season. The left-handed batter has been forced to play the anchor's role, considering the underwhelming performances of the remaining top-order batters.

With 330 runs from 11 innings, he is currently the leading run-getter for his team. However, his strike rate has taken a dip this year, which stands at 119.56. He has four fifties to his name.

Delhi will want their captain to show glimpses of his vintage self against PBKS. Warner has a fantastic record against Punjab and is the only batter to have scored over 1000 runs versus the team in the league's history.

The veteran batter will have to survive Arshdeep Singh's spell upfront. While the left-arm pacer has proved costly this year, a fiery spell with the new ball could do wonders for his confidence. He has bagged 16 wickets from 11 matches.

The lanky seamer has done well against left-handed batters this season. 10 out of his 16 wickets are of left-handers.

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#2 Ishant Sharma vs Shikhar Dhawan

Indian cricket veterans Ishant Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan's battle for one-upmanship is bound to entertain fans. having shared the dressing room for several years, both of them will have a fair idea of each other's game.

The two have squared off five times in the league's history. While Sharma has managed to dismiss the southpaw on just one occasion, Dhawan's strike rate drops to 107.14 against him.

The PBKS captain started off the tournament on a promising note, dazzling viewers with some exciting knocks. He has mustered 349 runs from just eight innings and is averaging 58.16.

Shikhar Dhawan has hit three half-centuries, including a spectacular 99*-run knock against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Sharma has also impressed many with his bowling exploits for DC, picking up six wickets from as many games at an economy rate of 7.52.

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#3 Kuldeep Yadav vs Liam Livingstone

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been a consistent performer for DC. While he has picked up just nine wickets from 11 matches, he has a fantastic economy rate of 7.02 to his name.

Kuldeep could be Warner's best bet against PBKS' swashbuckling batter Liam Livingstone. The power-hitter has struggled against spin bowlers.

He has amassed 172 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 163.80. It is worth mentioning that three out of Livingstone's five dismissals in IPL 2023 have been courtesy of spinners.

The 29-year-old is averaging just 13.00 against spin bowlers in this edition and has a dismal strike rate of 88.63.