IPL 2023: Predicting 3 bowlers who could pick up the most wickets in tonight's DC vs PBKS fixture

Two vital points will be on the line when the Delhi Capitals (DC) go up against northern rivals the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 59th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The encounter is scheduled to be hosted by the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday, May 13.

Delhi, who are languishing at the foot of the table with just eight points after 11 games, are almost out of the competition following their defeat against the Chennai Super Kings in their previous game.

Punjab, meanwhile, are eighth with five wins in 11 games. Losing to Delhi will also decrease their chances of making the cut to the playoffs.

The surface in Delhi always tends to play somewhat on the slower side. However, with the short boundaries, a well-balanced encounter might be on the cards between the two departments.

As DC and PBKS gear up to face each other in IPL 2023, it is important to consider the top bowlers who could make a significant impact in the upcoming match.

On that note, let's take a shot at three bowlers who could pick up the most wickets in today's match between DC and PBKS.

#3 Mitchell Marsh - DC

Mitchell Marsh celebrating with his teammates [IPLT20]

While he may not have set the stage alight with his batting, Mitchell Marsh has been excellent with the ball in hand in the tournament so far.

In fact, the Australian all-rounder is currently the highest wicket-taker for Delhi with 12 wickets in eight innings. Remarkably, Marsh's bowling average of 12.4 is also the best in the whole league (among bowlers who have played five games or more).

The 31-year-old has been inflicting crucial blows and has been in red-hot form of late. In only his last three outings, Marsh has picked up nine scalps, taking a wicket in almost every 6.6 balls.

David Warner would hope that Marsh continues to be the man with the golden arm for DC against PBKS as well.

#2 Arshdeep Singh - PBKS

One of India's rising stars, Arshdeep Singh will be one of the other pacers to be amongst wickets tonight. A bowler who generates enough movement with the new ball before causing trouble with his pinpoint yorkers, Arshdeep is a vital asset for PBKS.

Similar to Marsh, Arshdeep is also the highest wicket-taker for his franchise so far, with 16 wickets at an average of 25 across 11 games. However, the left-arm pacer hasn't been successful enough in the last few games.

In his last four outings, Arshdeep has leaked runs at an economy rate of over 12.3 with just three wickets to his name. With Sam Curran not being in his best of forms, Arshdeep's role will be even more vital and PBKS will hope that he wreaks havoc in Delhi tonight.

#1 Axar Patel - DC

Inarguably Delhi Capitals' best player this season, Axar Patel has done extremely well in IPL 2023. While he has been crucial down the order with the bat, the left-arm spinner performs an indispensable role with his bowling.

With his wily and well-disciplined left-arm spin, Axar manages to choke the opposition during the middle phase of the game. Among bowlers who have bowled over 15 overs between overs 7-15 this season, Axar has the best economy rate (6.4) in the league.

Moreover, his record against his former franchise, PBKS has been decent as well. Across six matches against Punjab, Axar has bagged nine wickets at a phenomenal average of 12.

Axar will be looking to assert himself against the PBKS middle-order batters, including Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Shahrukh Khan, and gain an upper hand for DC tonight.