Punjab's chance to move up the table

Match facts

Sunday, May 13, 2012, Mohali
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

Just when you think Deccan Chargers cannot slip any further, they prove you wrong. They smashed 117 runs off the last nine overs against a Delhi Daredevils attack with four international bowlers, and then proceeded to concede 193 in 16.4 overs to David Warner and Naman Ojha. Their attack did not have a single overseas bowler, and the most experienced Indian bowler, Amit Mishra, went for 44. Precious little has gone their way this season.

In their previous game, against Kings XI Punjab, Chargers had lost three big wickets in eight deliveries as their chase derailed in the middle overs. Kings XI are in seventh position on the points table but are still in with a chance of making the playoffs. However, they will be wary of the fact that they have lost their previous four games at home this season.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed games)

Kings XI Punjab: WLWWL
Deccan Chargers: LLLLW

Players to watch

Shikhar Dhawan, with a career Twenty20 strike-rate of 118.36, often struggles to accelerate when he gets himself in. His strike-rate of 171.42 during his innings of 84 against Daredevils, however, was his highest among his 15 half-centuries. What can he do in Mohali?

Azhar Mahmood hasn't imposed himself on the tournament with either bat or ball, but he has produced timely contributions with both. It was a tight over from him, and another from Parvinder Awana, that precipitated the mid-innings collapse in the game against Chargers.

Stats and trivia

(Stats, as on Saturday)

• Chargers have taken the least wickets, 60, and have been the most expensive attack, at 8.47 runs per over, this season
• Chargers' 74-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings in Visakhapatnam is the heaviest this season (in terms of runs).

Quotes

"Batting is not our major concern. It has mainly been bowling. We have missed one of our frontline bowlers in Ishant Sharma. The rest are young raw kids... in crunch times, experience does count."
Kumar Sangakkara, the Chargers captain