Last Updated on 19 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

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Punjab Kings (PBKS) will meet the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 55th match of IPL 2026 on 11th May 2026 at 7:30 IST. HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala, will host this game. The Kings are 4th in the table with six wins and three defeats, while the Capitals are 7th with four wins and seven losses in 11 matches. PBKS famously chased down 264 runs earlier this season against DC.

Punjab Kings won six matches on the trot before losing their last three matches. Their openers and Shreyas Iyer have failed to get going in these defeats, and the bowlers have been below average as well. Marcus Stoinis and Suryansh Shedge have looked in good touch with the bat, while Cooper Connolly scored a brilliant century in a losing cause in the last match against SRH. 

Punjab needs consistency from the top 4 batters and their entire bowling group in the remaining matches. Also, they must take their catches. Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marco Jansen, and Shreyas Iyer, alongside the openers, must step up in the business end of the league.

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The Capitals, on the other hand, have been below average this season. The middle order seems non-existent in the last two matches. The onus will be on the shoulders of KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, and even Nitish Rana to do the majority of the scoring. Sameer Rizvi has also done well, but they’ll need more contribution from Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel. 

Bowling-wise, while Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi form a very strong pace duo, the third pacer has been an issue for DC. Kuldeep Yadav has had a tough season to date, while Axar Patel has been average with the ball. Delhi will look to register a win in this match and settle the score against the Kings.

IPL 2026 55th Match: PBKS vs DC Probable Playing XIIs

The Punjab Kings are expected to be unchanged, but they could bring in Harpreet Brar for this match.

Punjab Kings: 1. Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2. Priyansh Arya, 3. Cooper Connolly, 4. Shreyas Iyer (c), 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Suryansh Shedge, 7. Shashank Singh, 8. Marco Jansen, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Vijakumar Vyshak,  11. Arshdeep Singh, 12. Yuzvendra Chahal

At least two changes are expected for DC; they can bring in Prithvi Shaw or another domestic opener with David Miller coming in the XI.

Delhi Capitals: 1. KL Rahul (wk), 2. Sahil Parakh/Prithvi Shaw, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Sameer Rizvi, 5. Tristan Stubbs, 6. David Miller, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Ashutosh Sharma, 9. Vipraj Nigam, 10. Mitchell Starc, 11. Kuldeep Yadav, 12. Mukesh Kumar

HPCA Stadium Dharamsala Pitch Report and Weather

This will be the first match at the HPCA Stadium in IPL 2026. The average first innings score in T20s in 2025 was 236 runs, and teams batting first won four of the five matches played here.

A high scoring match is expected, especially if the Punjab Kings bat first. The new ball will move around a bit, and there’ll be something for the spinners as well. Scores in the range of 180-200 are expected. 

It will be a little cloudy with the temperature being around 16-17 degrees Celsius at the start of the game. Rain is predicted ahead of the game, but we should have a full match.

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Fantasy Cricket Tips for PBKS vs DC: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicketkeeper picks:  

• Prabhsimran Singh has been dismissed cheaply in the last two matches, and he’ll be eager to do well in this one. He scored 76 runs in just 26 deliveries in the last game against the Capitals. He will look to attack from the first ball and will be a good C/VC pick.
• KL Rahul scored 152* runs in the last meeting against PBKS. He’s the best batter for his team and a proven performer in the IPL. Rahul is third in the Orange Cap list with 468 runs in 11 matches, including a century and three fifties. Rahul is another excellent C/VC option.

Key batter picks: 

• Priyansh Arya has the highest strike rate this season – 242.37 – in nine matches at an average of 31.77. Arya has failed in the last few matches, and it’s high time now that he gets going. Arya will look to attack from the word go and will be a good C/VC option in this game.
• Shreyas Iyer has 333 runs in nine innings this season, including four fifties. Iyer is PBKS’ backbone with the bat, and he’s failed in the last three matches. Iyer will be determined to lead from the front in this match and will be the best captain choice.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Axar Patel has been poor with the bat, but he has picked up 10 wickets this season, and he’ll contribute in the field too. Axar can target Punjab’s middle order, as they have a right-hand-heavy batting unit.
• Marcus Stoinis has looked in sublime touch in this season. He has always performed when the team has needed him in IPL 2026. Stoinis has 178 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of over 190. 
• Cooper Connolly is one of the best youngsters in the tournament. He’s batting at three and has done a phenomenal job for PBKS. He has scored 377 runs in nine innings at an average of 53.85 at a strike rate of 171.36 with one century and two fifties. 

Key bowler picks: 

• Mitchell Starc went for 31 runs in the last match in three overs, but he’s a genuine wicket-taker with the new ball and can bowl equally well towards the end of the innings. Starc can trouble Punjab’s top 4, especially with the new ball.
• Lungi Ngidi’s slower delivery can prove to be very useful against Punjab’s aggressive batting approach. Ngidi has a very deceptive slower delivery and he’s overall bowling well this season with eight wickets to his name.

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Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Nitish Rana.
• Tristan Stubbs.
• David Miller (if plays).
• Yuzvendra Chahal.

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head to Head: 36 matches, PBKS 18, DC 17, and one no result.
• Shreyas Iyer vs. Kuldeep Yadav (T20s): 116 runs, 3 dismissals in 64 deliveries.
• Nitish Rana vs. Yuzvendra Chahal (T20s): 110 runs, 6 dismissals in 87 deliveries.
• Axar Patel vs. Yuzvendra Chahal (T20s): 46 runs, 3 dismissals in 33 deliveries.
• KL Rahul vs. Arshdeep Singh (T20s): 81 runs, 2 dismissals in 48 deliveries.
• Marcus Stoinis vs. Axar Patel (T20s): 15 runs, 2 dismissals in 25 deliveries.

IPL 2026 55th Match: PBKS vs DC Dream11 Prediction

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Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2026 55th Match: PBKS vs DC Match Prediction: Who will win?

Punjab Kings will be the clear favorites to win this game, but their bowling is a concern, and Delhi will fancy their chances while chasing. The Capitals are also struggling with their bowling, and their batting too has failed to get going. Overall, based on current form and squad depth, Punjab will win.

Punjab Kings to win.

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