IPL 2022: Delhi, Punjab face-off in crunch clash as race for play-offs heats up

So far, both the Delhi and Punjab have been struggling for consistency and further slip-up would dent their chances of making it to the last-four stage.

Power-hitting Mitchell Marsh holds key to Delhi's chances in the match against Punjab.

As the race for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs heats up, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings will be hoping to outdo each other when they meet in a must-win game at the DY Patil Stadium on Monday.

So far, both the teams have been struggling for consistency and further slip-up would dent their chances of making it to the last-four stage. While Delhi Capitals is ranked fifth with a NRR of +0.210, Punjab Kings is at the seventh spot with 12 points in its kitty, and both the teams look confident, having won their last game.

For the Capitals, the batting department will revolve around the in-form David Warner. In the absence of Prithvi Shaw, who just recovered from typhoid, back-up openers Mandeep Singh and K.S. Bharat have struggled and the team needs to quickly fix its top-order woes.

Mitchell Marsh, who impressed in the last outing against Rajasthan Royals, will need to anchor the middle-order, along with Rovman Powell and captain Rishabh Pant. But against Punjab’s quality bowling line-up - comprising Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh - Capitals’ batters will be put to test.

Punjab Kings has some of the top batters in its ranks - Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Bhanuka Rajapaksa - and in a crunch game, the team will be expecting them to come good.

Livingstone has been in red-hot form, while Bairstow, too, has regained his touch and a lot will depend on the England duo. It needs to be seen how the Capitals tackle Kings’ big-hitters.