For the third successive evening, a 200-plus total never came into play. Lucknow Super Giants fell short with the bat, but their seamers generated enough movement to challenge Delhi Capitals. However, defending 142 proved insufficient as DC secured a six-wicket victory, powered by Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70, to register their first win of IPL 2026 on Wednesday (April 1).
Match summary
Phases of the game:
- Powerplay: LSG 48/2 | DC 33/4 | RR: 8 / 5.5
- Middle Overs: LSG 73/4 | DC 80/0 | RR: 8.11 / 8.88
- Death Overs: LSG 20/4 | DC 32/0 | RR: 5.45 / 14.77
Boundaries (4s/6s):
- LSG: 4/2, 6/3, 1/0
- DC: 3/1, 6/2, 1/3
Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 141 all out in 18.4 overs (Abdul Samad 36 off 25; Lungi Ngidi 3-27, T Natarajan 3-29, Kuldeep Yadav 2-31) lost to Delhi Capitals 145/4 in 17.1 overs (Sameer Rizvi 70* off 47, Tristan Stubbs 39* off 32; Prince Yadav 2-20, Mohsin Khan 1-19) by six wickets.
Bowlers set up the contest
Delhi Capitals’ bowlers laid the foundation by maintaining discipline throughout. Mukesh Kumar found early swing and kept a tight line, while the dismissal of Rishabh Pant came via a fortunate moment. Axar Patel’s tactical bowling changes proved effective, matching himself up against Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, while Kuldeep Yadav and Lungi Ngidi were used against Nicholas Pooran.
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Ngidi stood out with his variations, particularly his dipping off-cutter, which accounted for Pooran. On a surface without significant assistance, LSG’s innings featured several soft dismissals, leaving them short of a competitive total.
LSG fight back with the ball
Despite the modest total, LSG made early inroads. The ball continued to swing during the Powerplay, leading to all four DC wickets falling to deliveries pitched in the good-length area. KL Rahul edged Mohammed Shami to deep third man, while Mohsin Khan marked his return after 15 months out of competitive cricket with the wicket of Nitish Rana, conceding no runs off his first 11 deliveries apart from leg byes. Yadav then struck twice in quick succession, reducing DC to 26/4 and putting LSG firmly in control.
Rizvi anchors recovery
Sameer Rizvi turned the game around with a composed innings after a cautious start. On 5 from 13 balls, he broke the shackles with a ramped six off Anrich Nortje. The momentum shifted significantly in the 10th over when he struck Shahbaz Ahamad for three boundaries in a 16-run over.
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Tristan Stubbs provided steady support, but Rizvi led the charge after arriving as the impact substitute. The pair stitched together an unbroken 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket, guiding DC to victory without further setbacks.
Pant’s role in the game
Rishabh Pant made a notable call by opening the innings alongside Mitchell Marsh, despite Marsh’s successful partnership with Aiden Markram in 2025. Pant started with a crisp on-drive but was dismissed in unusual fashion when Marsh struck the ball back at Mukesh Kumar, whose deflection dislodged the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Pant backing up too far.
While Pant’s decisions in the field were largely sound, the timing of Shahbaz Ahamad’s over proved costly.
Impact of left-arm seamers
Left-arm pacers played a significant role in the match. Mohsin Khan delivered economical figures of 1/19 from four overs, while T Natarajan was effective in the middle overs, dismissing Ayush Badoni before adding two wickets at the death.
What’s next
Delhi Capitals will return home for their first afternoon game of the tournament, hosting Mumbai Indians on Saturday (April 4). Lucknow Super Giants will travel to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (April 5) in another afternoon fixture.
