The 64th match of the ongoing 16th season of the Indian Premier League will take place between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium tomorrow.
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The HPCA Stadium is the designated home ground for Kings’ final two league stage matches this year, and the Shikhar Dhawan-led side will hope that the venue brings the required fortune needed in order for them to confirm their berth in the playoffs.
They will have to emerge victorious in convincing fashion across both these remaining matches as their negative NRR (Net Run Rate) of -0.268 presently places them on the eighth spot on the points table. A comprehensive victory during the previous match against Delhi Capitals will only add to their confidence in achieving the same.
DC, on the other hand, had become the first team to get eliminated from the playoffs’ race post their aforementioned loss at their home ground.
As they look to end a disappointing season on a high, they could also play spoilsport for both Kings and even Chennai Super Kings (next match) by winning these matches and taking them along across the other side of the exit gate as well.
HPCA Stadium Pitch Report for PBKS vs DC IPL 2023 Match in Dharamsala
Dharamsala had last hosted an IPL match during the 2013 edition between the Punjab (then Kings XI Punjab) and Mumbai Indians, which the former had won by 50 runs.
Over the years, across the T20 format, the venue has not produced high-scoring matches with conditions generally benefiting the pacers in particular. Even during the previous T20I here between India and Sri Lanka last year, Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan had taken full advantage of the seaming conditions and swing on offer with the new ball.
The average score across 30 men’s T20s has been 154.6 runs. Thus, one could expect a balanced contest between bat and ball on Wednesday, and score in the vicinity of the 170-run mark might well turn out to be a match-winning total.
