PBKS vs DC preview: Punjab look to break deadlock; Delhi seek to salvage pride; check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Punjab Kings will host Delhi Capitals at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Monday, 11 May. The match starts at 7:30 PM IST.

This is the 1st of the 4 IPL matches to be held in Dharamshala this month. Punjab returns to its 2nd home ground.

The venue has a seating capacity of approximately 23,000 spectators. The stadium, surrounded by the Himalayas, is often considered the most scenic cricket venue in the world.

Head-to-Head Record

Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings have a closely-contested IPL rivalry. The two sides have met 36 times across all seasons. PBKS hold a narrow lead with 18 wins against DC's 17. One match ended without a result. DC's highest team total in this fixture stands at 264. PBKS have recorded the highest score of 265 against DC.

In IPL 2026, their first meeting on 25 April made history. PBKS pulled off the highest successful run-chase in T20 cricket. KL Rahul scored a monumental 152 not out for Delhi. Despite that innings, Punjab chased down 265 with seven balls to spare.

Among all-time individual records in this fixture, Mayank Agarwal leads run-scorers with 450 runs. David Warner follows with 434 runs, and Shreyas Iyer (who has played for both Delhi and Punjab) has scored 422. Axar Patel is the top wicket-taker with 20 wickets in this fixture.

Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Abishek Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi, Abhishek Porel (Impact Player).

PBKS have also dropped 16 catches this season, the second-highest in the league. Fielding improvement is a major focus ahead of this game.

Delhi Capitals have been eliminated from playoff contention. They are expected to experiment with their lineup against Punjab.

Abishek Porel may replace the struggling Sameer Rizvi in the middle order. Pacer Auqib Nabi could come in for an out-of-form Kuldeep Yadav.

England opener Ben Duckett is unavailable for the entire season. He withdrew before IPL 2026 began, focusing on Test cricket. Both sides carry significant selection concerns into this fixture.

Shreyas Iyer (PBKS): The Punjab captain has been remarkably consistent, scoring 333 runs at an average of 47.57. He recently struck 71 against Delhi and excels in high-pressure chases.

Mitchell Starc (DC): Starc's return to form has revitalised Delhi's bowling attack significantly. He adds sting to Delhi’s bowling attack.

Priyansh Arya (PBKS): The PBKS opener has been explosive with a strike rate of 242.37 and 26 sixes this season. He has scored 286 runs in 9 matches so far.

Axar Patel (DC): The Delhi skipper leads Delhi as captain and has taken 10 wickets so far. He also has 12 career wickets against PBKS in 10 matches at an economy of 6.1.

Conditions from 7 PM onward look sunny with zero chance of rain. Temperatures will drop steadily from 17°C at 7 PM to 13°C by 11 PM.

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala has hosted 14 T20 matches since its first game in April 2010. Teams batting first have won 9 of 14 matches, for a 64.29% success rate. The average first-innings score at this ground is 187.50. The average runs per over stands at 8.89.

The highest team innings at the venue is 241/7 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The best individual knock is 106 by Adam Gilchrist for the Punjab Kings. Toss winners have won only 6 of 14 matches here.

Punjab once looked invincible, only to lose 3 matches in a row. Delhi, too, looked great when it started but lost its way. Two fine teams will lock horns tonight to prove a point. Watch out.