For the third consecutive evening, the 200-run mark remained out of reach as Lucknow Super Giants posted a below-par total, though their pacers challenged Delhi Capitals with notable movement; however, the modest target of 142 proved insufficient, with Delhi cruising to a six-wicket win thanks to Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70 to kick off their IPL 2026 campaign on April 1.
T Natarajan and Lungi Ngidi destroy LSG's batting order
To begin with, he made a bold call regarding his batting position, promoting himself to open alongside Mitchell Marsh despite the latter’s successful partnership with Aiden Markram in 2025. Rishabh Pant started confidently with a classy on-drive but chose to settle in cautiously. His stay, however, was cut short in an unusual fashion—Marsh struck the ball back to Mukesh Kumar, who couldn’t hold on to a tough return catch, but the deflection ended up dislodging the bails at the non-striker’s end with Pant backing up too far. While Pant was largely sound in his on-field decisions, the timing of introducing Shahbaz Ahmed did not quite work in his favor.
Delhi Capitals’ bowlers, meanwhile, were consistently on point. Mukesh Kumar generated early swing and maintained excellent control, even though Pant’s dismissal came via a slice of luck. The team’s planning was evident, with Axar Patel bringing himself on to counter the Marsh-Markram pair, while Kuldeep Yadav and Lungi Ngidi were used strategically against Nicholas Pooran. Ngidi stood out with his clever variations, particularly his dipping off-cutter, which dismantled Pooran’s stumps and left Lucknow struggling, alongside several other soft dismissals on a pitch that offered little inherent assistance.
Left-arm pacers also played a crucial role, especially after returning from injury setbacks. Mohsin Khan delivered an economical spell, conceding just 19 runs in his four overs while picking up a wicket. T Natarajan complemented him well with disciplined bowling through the middle overs, removing Ayush Badoni before striking twice more at the death to cap off an impressive effort.
Sameer Rizvi takes charge for DC
The conditions offered more than just a hint of opportunity for the bowlers, especially with the ball swinging consistently during the Powerplay. All four Delhi Capitals wickets in that phase came from deliveries pitched on a good length, even though the pacers occasionally struggled with their lines. KL Rahul chased a wide delivery from Mohammed Shami and ended up finding the fielder at deep third man. Mohsin Khan, returning after a 15-month injury layoff, made an immediate impact by dismissing Nitish Rana and conceding no runs—apart from leg byes—in his first 11 balls. Prince Yadav then struck twice in quick succession, leaving DC reeling at 26/4.
Amid the early collapse, Sameer Rizvi stepped up under pressure, even as the pacers tested him initially. After crawling to 5 off 13 balls, he broke free with a confident ramp shot for six off a sharp Anrich Nortje bouncer. The momentum shifted significantly in the 10th over when Rizvi attacked Shahbaz Ahmed, collecting three boundaries in a 16-run over. Tristan Stubbs also looked comfortable at the crease, but Rizvi clearly took charge of the recovery.
Coming in as the impact substitute, Rizvi showed resilience during a challenging phase before taking control of the innings. Once he settled in, he accelerated smoothly, and alongside Stubbs, stitched together an unbeaten 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Their stand ensured Delhi Capitals recovered from the early damage and cruised to victory.
SCORECARD: Lucknow Super Giants 141 all out in 18.4 overs (Abdul Samad 36 (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* (47), Tristan Stubbs 39* (32), Prince Yadav 2-20, Mohsin Khan 1-19) by 6 wickets