Punjab Kings win will be a big upset in the points table, match against Delhi Capitals in Jaipur

Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals will face each other in IPL 2025 on Saturday. This is a repeat of the game that got canceled before the suspension of IPL, but the scenario is entirely different this time. PBKS have already made the play-offs, so it is extremely important for them to finish in the top-2 at the moment. DC, being out of the playoff contention, will look to finish the season with dignity, playing solely for respect.

Punjab Kings will attempt to get to the top 2 with a win in this game, potentially their first top 4 finish since 2014. Delhi gets the chance to maintain their hopes of respectability alive in this game, but their road appears tough. The top-order clash is going to bring out an intriguing encounter where the disparity in the batting prowess between the two sides is perceived as humongous. The top order of PBKS has performed wonderfully well this season with a high average of 36.5, fourth in the league behind Gujarat Titans (58.3), Lucknow Super Giants (40.5), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (37.3).

On the other hand, DC's start has been very weak, where their top three batsmen have an average of only 27.1, which is the lowest after Chennai Super Kings (23.2) and Kolkata Knight Riders (26.2). In such a situation, this match will be strategically important, where PBKS will want to take advantage of their strong start and put pressure on DC. Punjab Kings' opening pair Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have emerged as a major reason for the team's success. Presenting a perfect blend of aggression and consistency, the duo has given the team a solid start in the powerplay in almost every match. Both batsmen have scored over 350 runs in the season so far, and Prabhsimran looks set to reach the 500-run mark.

The performance of this opening pair directly impacts the team's results. When either of these two batsmen scores 45+ runs, PBKS have not lost a match so far (5 wins, 1 no-result match). But when neither of them crosses the 45-run mark, PBKS have lost three out of six matches.

PBKS' powerplay bowling has seen a tremendous change. In the first five matches, the team managed to take only four wickets that too with an economy of 9.8 and an average of 73.8, which shows a very expensive and ineffective performance. But after this, PBKS made a big improvement in their bowling attack and in the next seven innings, they took 14 wickets, that too with an economy of 8.8 and an average of only 23. This improvement has proved to be a game changer for PBKS. However, the last match against Rajasthan Royals was an exception, where PBKS's bowling looked ineffective due to Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting and RR scored 89 runs in the powerplay, losing just one wicket.

Talking about the best economy in the powerplay in the season, RCB is at the top with an economy of 8.5, while Mumbai Indians and KKR are tied with an economy of 9.0. PBKS has also now made its place in this list with an economy of 9.2.

DC's powerplay bowling is constantly proving to be their biggest weakness. This season, they have conceded runs in the powerplay at an economy rate of 9.7, which is the fourth most expensive economy in the league. The only relief for DC has been spinner Vipraj Nigam, whose strike rate has been 14, which is the most effective of any bowler in this phase. On the other hand, other fast bowlers like Mukesh Kumar and Dushmantha Chameera have failed to make any impact in the powerplay. Due to the inability to take early wickets consistently, DC comes on the backfoot every time and gives the opposing teams a chance to get off to a fast start.