DC vs PBKS Dream11 Team Today, Playing 11 & Pitch Report — Match 35, IPL 2026

यहाँ मिलेगा — DC vs PBKS Dream11, playing 11, pitch report, H2H, और कहाँ देखें आज का मैच (April 25)।

📲 Live toss & XI updates → BattingFirst WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb1iF1X9hXF4o5HF2V0z

DC vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today Match. Honestly? I didn’t think Punjab Kings would still be unbeaten by Match 35. Nobody did. This is the franchise that has perfected the art of losing matches they should’ve won — for nearly fifteen years now. And then Shreyas Iyer takes over, says barely anything in press conferences, and the whole thing just clicks. Wild.

Anyway. Today they head to Delhi. 3:30 PM start, Arun Jaitley, toss at 3. DC sit sixth — three wins, three losses, points tight, must-win territory more or less. PBKS? First on 11 points, five wins, one no-result, and they’re playing like they actually believe they’ll go undefeated through the league stage. Which… they might.

So Match 35, today’s IPL match. Don’t let that table trick you into thinking it’s a mismatch. These two? Locked at 17-all from 35 prior meetings. Yeah, properly even. Don’t trust the standings too much for this one.

Below — Dream11, playing 11s, pitch read, the lot.

Match Details

Stats & H2H — DC vs PBKS in IPL

Stats & H2H — DC vs PBKS in IPL

Quick numbers before we go deeper:

→ Met 35 times in IPL. Wins split 17-17. One game washed out, no result. → DC’s biggest knock vs PBKS = 231. Punjab’s best in this fixture = 206. → Last meeting (IPL 2025), Delhi chased it down by 6 wickets. Comfortable. → Standings as of today — DC sit 6th on 6 points, PBKS sit 1st on 11.

Let that 17-17 sit with you for a sec. Read it again actually. Almost statistically impossible for any rivalry to be that perfectly split — but somehow, here we are. DC’s biggest score in this matchup is 231. Punjab’s best is 206. And the last time these two faced off in 2025, Delhi chased the target down with 6 wickets in hand — wasn’t even close at the end.

The standings gap right now is real (5 points apart). Whether that gap shows up at Kotla in three hours — different matter.

What’s Going On With Both Sides

DC’s bowling. People keep talking about how Delhi can’t defend totals or whatever — it’s the wrong narrative. Natarajan economy at the death is 8.25. Lungi’s at 8.3, give or take. Across this entire IPL season, you’ve got like… what, Jofra Archer and Bhuvneshwar Kumar going for less? That’s it. So you’re talking about two of the four most economical death bowlers in the comp playing for the same side. Plus Kuldeep at Kotla — different bowler entirely on this surface vs. away pitches. Bowling? Solid. Genuinely.

It’s the bat that’s broken. Three chases of 200+ this season, all three failed. SRH game last week — 243 needed, finished on 195. Not even nervous, not even close. Nissanka was scoring at the start of the season, now he barely registers. Miller hasn’t gone yet. Axar walks in at six which is too late when the rate is already 14 an over. The Impact Player rotation between Ashutosh Sharma and Karun Nair every other game also tells me the dressing room hasn’t actually figured out what their best XI is.

But — and this matters — Kotla itself is a different conversation. Two from two at home this season for DC. The crowd actually lifts them, Kuldeep gets bite off the surface, and 175 starts feeling defendable. That version of DC is real. It’s shown up twice already.

Now Punjab. Look, what Priyansh Arya is doing in the powerplay isn’t normal. SR of 258 across 50+ balls. Four boundaries every six balls in the first six overs basically. The plan against him is — wait, what is the plan against him? Bowl yorkers? He hits those for four. Bouncers? He pulls them. Slower balls? He picks the length and waits. DC’s seamers will need their best six overs of the season, easily.

And Iyer’s just… operating in his own time zone. Kid’s piled up something like 200-plus runs across 5 innings — most of it middle-overs grunt work, none of it flashy. Then you check the scorecard mid-innings and realise he’s quietly cooked 60 off less than 40 balls. That kind of player. Annoying to bowl at.

Five wins, no losses, plus the no-result. Couple more wins from here and they match — match? maybe break — their own best ever IPL run from way back in 2013-14. That stat’s floating around the dressing room. I guarantee it.

Pitch — Arun Jaitley Stadium

Last game here? 419 total runs. GT defended 1 run off the final ball vs DC. Miller didn’t take the single. Whole of Delhi was furious. It’s been 14 days since.

Curators have rested & re-prepped the surface. Should be fresh, decent carry, true bounce. Spinners get something in overs 7-14 of the first innings — every IPL game here this year has shown that. Then dew comes in. Around over 12 of innings 2 the ball stops gripping properly, and it just becomes a flat road for whoever’s chasing.

Par first innings score in IPL 2026 here = 180-200. Short boundaries. Toss winner almost always bowls. If PBKS win it — they bowl. Easy decision.

Weather: cloudy. Hot — 39 to 42°C. No rain at all. Dew confirmed for second innings.

Playing 11 — DC vs PBKS Match 35

Toss is at 3 PM, XIs confirm right after. Here’s what both sides probably look like based on recent matches.

Delhi Capitals — predicted XI:

Top order is the same as always — KL Rahul keeping wicket and opening, then likely Abishek Porel coming in for Pathum Nissanka. That’s the big call. Nissanka’s been quiet for too long, and frankly Rahul needs someone who actually goes from ball one (his SR in the first 10 powerplay balls is 122 since IPL 2025 — bro needs a partner who races off). Porel fits.

Middle order — Sameer Rizvi at three. Then Nitish Rana, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs. Skipper Axar Patel walks in at six which is honestly too low but that’s how DC have been playing him.

Bowling: Kuldeep Yadav obviously. Then Mukesh Kumar with the new ball. Death overs go to T Natarajan and Lungi Ngidi, both genuinely great this season.

Mitchell Starc still out — shoulder. Impact Player almost certainly Ashutosh Sharma. Backup options on bench: Karun Nair, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Tushar Deshpande.

Punjab Kings — predicted XI:

PBKS won’t change much. Why would they. They’ve been winning everything.

Wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh opens with Priyansh Arya — that’s the explosive duo at the top. Captain Shreyas Iyer comes in at three. Marcus Stoinis at four (genuinely quality this season). Then Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen rounding out the middle order.

Bowling unit’s nasty too. Arshdeep Singh leads the attack. Yuzvendra Chahal in middle overs (he could be lethal vs DC’s right-hand-heavy lineup). Vijaykumar Vyshak’s been brilliant at the death — economy of 10.05 sounds high but he bowls the toughest overs every game. Lockie Ferguson rounds out the four.

Impact subs — likely Harpreet Brar or Azmatullah Omarzai, depending on whether they want extra spin or pace.

🔄 Both XIs lock in after toss. Watch the WhatsApp channel for live confirmation.

DC vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today Match

Players to Watch

Priyansh Arya

Pre-match team meetings at DC will absolutely be about Priyansh. Bowling cutters, slower balls, length outside off — all of it. They’ll plan for him. He’ll hit one of the first four balls he faces over extra cover for six and the plan goes out the window. It’s not about whether DC have a plan, it’s whether they can execute it for 36 deliveries straight, and nobody has done that to him this season. Dream11 — pick him, no debate.

Shreyas Iyer

There’s something slightly poetic about Iyer coming back to Kotla — where he played a chunk of his early career — as the captain of the team that might end DC’s playoff hopes. He plays chases like a chess game. Sees the run rate, lets it climb a bit, then around overs 13-14 he just shifts up and the chase is done. 208 runs, 5 innings. Captain choice today. Safest you’ll get.

Kuldeep Yadav

Bro is sitting on 246 T20 wickets. 4 short of 250. Kotla’s basically his backyard at this point. PBKS middle order is loaded with right-handers — which is exactly the kind of matchup his angles destroy. Lock him into your Dream11. Sub-25% GL ownership? Then he’s a sneaky captain shout too.

Sameer Rizvi

Top run scorer for DC this season — 209 runs. Doesn’t get talked about much. Dude’s quiet, doesn’t really celebrate, just does the work. Made 41 in the SRH game when nobody else turned up. Hits the short ball well, plays through the off side hard, doesn’t care who’s bowling. If he gets going early today — DC’s innings goes somewhere.

Dream11 — DC vs PBKS

Going safe for small leagues? KL Rahul behind the stumps. Up top — Priyansh Arya & Shreyas Iyer (he’s your captain, just trust me). Add Sameer Rizvi as the third bat. All-rounder slots — Axar Patel, Stoinis, Krunal — done. For the bowling four I’m rolling with Kuldeep (slap the VC band on him), Arshdeep, Lungi, and Natarajan. That’s it. Won’t blow up, won’t lose you the contest either.

GL though? Different ball game entirely. You’ve gotta swing for the fences. Swap out Rahul, bring in Jitesh Sharma — way lower ownership and similar ceiling. Drop Krunal, slot Nitish Rana in as a 4th bat (he’s hungry after that drop). One of the seamers also has to go to make room for Kagiso Rabada. Now here’s the actual differential — make Axar Patel your captain. Yes, captain. If DC bowl first, Axar’s going to bowl 4 economical overs + bat, and at like 5% ownership that’s a contest-winner. VC stays Priyansh Arya. Risky? Sure. But GL isn’t won by playing it safe.

🎯 GL Differential Pick — Nitish Rana

Should be 8-12% owned today. Got dropped earlier in the season, came back vs SRH and made 57 off 30. That’s not a “trying to prove something” cameo — that’s a guy who was dropped too soon and has come back angrier. Punjab’s bowling is heavy on pace, Rana’s pull shot is one of the better looking shots DC have got, and on this surface? Massive value at this ownership.

Where to Watch

JioHotstar app/web for streaming. TV — Star Sports 1, 1HD. Hindi commentary on Star Sports 2. 3:30 PM IST first ball, toss 3 PM.

🔔 Toss & playing 11 the moment it’s announced — BattingFirst WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb1iF1X9hXF4o5HF2V0z

Who Wins?

PBKS, 62%. The batting is deeper, the form is real, and Iyer chasing anything under 200 is a problem.

But Delhi at home isn’t a freebie. Kuldeep on this pitch, two home wins already, and a death bowling unit that can squeeze a chase if they get 178+. It’s not a walkover.

PBKS probably do it. DC will make them sweat though.

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