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On Monday, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will look to recover from three consecutive defeats as they face a struggling Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala. The 2025 runners-up have significant issues to address.

Initially, PBKS appeared unstoppable, boasting a seven-match unbeaten streak with six victories and one no-result. However, their recent losses have revealed weaknesses in their bowling, fielding, and batting. Meanwhile, DC is on the brink of elimination, having lost seven out of 11 matches, making them a potential target for PBKS to regain their form before their crucial match against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 17.

1. **Underperforming Pace Attack**: The PBKS pace unit, led by Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen, has been disappointing. In nine matches, they have allowed 200 runs or more six times, and over 220 runs three times. Their bowling average of 46.47 ranks them as the second-worst pace unit this season, just behind their opponents. With only 33 wickets taken by seven pace bowlers, they are among the lowest in the league, with an economy rate of 10.68, the worst overall.

2. **Top Order's Early Peak**: PBKS's top four batsmen, including Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer, initially performed exceptionally well, accumulating 853 runs in their first six matches. However, their performance has declined in the subsequent four matches, with only 507 runs at a lower average and strike rate. Notably, individual performances have varied, with some players struggling to maintain consistency.

3. **Fielding Issues**: The team's fielding has been subpar, with a catching efficiency of just 71.43%. They have dropped 16 catches, with Shashank Singh being a notable offender. This has led to frustration for head coach Ricky Ponting.

4. **Underutilization of Spin Bowlers**: Despite having talented spinners like Yuzi Chahal, PBKS has bowled the least amount of spin overs in the league. They have only bowled 34 overs of spin across ten matches, resulting in eight wickets at a high average and economy rate.

Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Musheer Khan, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Owen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ben Dwarshuis, Praveen Dubey, Yash Thakur, Nehal Wadhera, Harnoor Singh, Pyla Avinash, Vishal Nishad.

Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul(w), Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Karun Nair, T Natarajan, Abishek Porel, David Miller, Dushmantha Chameera, Kyle Jamieson, Rehan Ahmed, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prithvi Shaw, Auqib Nabi Dar, Tripurana Vijay, Sahil Parakh, Madhav Tiwari.