Punjab Kings Players Wearing Black Armbands Against Delhi Capitals (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: Punjab Kings players were seen wearing black armbands during their Indian Premier League 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Monday.
The gesture came as a mark of respect following the demise of the mother of Punjab Kings team physio Andrew Leipus. According to reports, Leipus’ mother passed away on Sunday, following which the franchise decided to honour her memory during the match.
The match against Delhi Capitals was an important one for Punjab Kings, who entered the contest after suffering three consecutive defeats in the tournament. After spending a significant period near the top of the IPL 2026 points table, PBKS slipped to fourth position following their recent losses.
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The Dharamsala fixture also marked Punjab Kings’ first game of the season at the HPCA Stadium, regarded as the franchise’s second home venue. Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl first against the hosts.
Delhi Capitals made several changes to their playing XI after their previous defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders. Captain Axar Patel confirmed five changes ahead of the match.
Kuldeep Yadav was among the players left out, while Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam also missed out from the starting lineup. Some of them were later included among the impact substitute options.
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The team management brought in fresh combinations as Delhi looked to strengthen its campaign during the crucial phase of the tournament.
Punjab Kings made one change to their side, handing IPL debut to Australian cricketer Ben Dwarshuis.
He replaced Lockie Ferguson, who was unavailable due to a minor injury concern. PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed at the toss that Ferguson had a “slight niggle”, prompting the team to bring Dwarshuis into the playing XI.
The match carried added importance for both teams as the race for playoff qualification intensified in the closing stages of IPL 2026.
