IPL 2026: Why is Kuldeep Yadav not playing PBKS vs DC Match 55?

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are hosting Delhi Capitals (DC) in their first home game of the season at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala in Match 55 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The Kings come into this clash on the back of three consecutive losses after starting the season unbeaten. They will be looking to get back on track and make a push for a top-two finish. The Capitals, on the other hand, are all but out of the tournament and will need a dominant win to keep alive their hopes of making it to the Playoffs.

PBKS vs DC: Toss Update

Axar Patel, skipper of the Delhi Capitals, won the toss and chose to bowl. He spoke about having to enjoy even the tough times, adding that he wants the team to focus on their results first, over other teams’ fortunes. Shreyas Iyer, skipper of the Punjab Kings, said that he wants his team to back their instincts and play to the best of their abilities after their blip in form after a stunning start to the season.

PBKS vs DC: Five changes for the Capitals, Dwarshius debuts for the Kings

The Capitals have made five changes to their team, with Abhishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, David Miller, Auqib Nabi returning to the team Madhav Tiwari making his debut. Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner who has picked up just seven wickets in 11 games going at an economy rate of 10.67, missed out.

Other exclusions in the Capitals camp was the trio of Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi and Ashutosh Sharma, who are on the bench as impact subs. Nitish Rana is the fifth and final name out of the squad.

For the Kings, Australian left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshius made his debut in place of Lockie Ferguson, who missed the game with a niggle.

PBKS vs DC: What did the captains say?

Axar Patel, DC captain

“We want to bowl first. Yes, we have been winning the tosses. But that is the only thing that is going right for us this season (chuckles). We have been losing crucial moments in the game. Apart from that, we have been playing good cricket with bat, ball and field. If you see, we haven’t played badly. We don’t want to rely on other teams mathematically. We don’t want to be worrying about the result. Irrespective of the result, we just want to play our brand of cricket. It is a fresh wicket here in Dharamsala. It is also a high-scoring ground. First game here, and it is a fresh wicket. We really don’t know how it actually plays. It usually swings a bit with the new ball for the fast bowlers. So, we want to put them to bat first and see how it behaves. Hence, we are chasing. 5 changes for us. Abishek Porel and Sahil Parakh are playing. David Miller is playing as is Auqib Nabi. And also Madhav Tiwari is playing.”

Shreyas Iyer, PBKS captain

“Honestly speaking, I don’t know how the pitch behaves in this IPL, until you play on it. So, put your best foot forward and go ahead. I personally think you don’t have to look on the points table. Focus on the small details that you have been doing. Focus on your ability. And just backing your instincts. That’s where we have been following short on in the last few games. Soaking the pressure as well. Not at all. It doesn’t shift your mindset. It teaches you a lot. In this tournament, there will be ups and downs. But it’s all about getting the best performance. So, Ben Dwarshuis comes in place of Lockie. He has got a small niggle. That’s the only change.”

PBKS vs DC: Playing XIs

Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Ben Dwarshius, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Substitutes: Vishnu Vinod, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Harpreet Brar, Pravin Dubey

Delhi Capitals (DC):

KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (capt), Madhav Tiwari, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc

Impact Substitutes: Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Tripurana Vijay, Pathum Nissanka