Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in the fifth match of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, 1 April 2026. The victory gave Delhi Capitals their first points of the season and made them the first away team to win a match in the Indian Premier League 2026.
The match represented the season opener for both franchises. Both Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants had entered the 2026 season after enduring difficult Indian Premier League 2025 campaigns. Delhi Capitals had won five of their first six matches in 2025 before losing momentum, finishing fifth and missing the playoffs. Lucknow Super Giants had followed a similar arc, going from four wins in the early stages to a prolonged slump that left them seventh at the end of the season.
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and elected to field first at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, where a red-soil surface on Pitch No. 4 offered fast bowlers sustained swing and seam movement. Lucknow Super Giants elected an unusual opening combination, sending Rishabh Pant to open the batting alongside Mitchell Marsh rather than posting the explosive Nicholas Pooran at the top of the order.
How did Lucknow Super Giants lose their captain Rishabh Pant in the third over of their IPL 2026 season opener?
The decision cost Lucknow Super Giants their captain inside the first three overs. A straight drive from Marsh deflected off the hand of Delhi Capitals fast bowler Mukesh Kumar onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end, running out Rishabh Pant in circumstances that had initially resembled a caught-and-bowled chance. The loss of the Lucknow Super Giants captain disrupted the home side’s batting order. Aiden Markram came in to replace Pant rather than Pooran, and Axar Patel introduced himself into the attack, bowling Markram in his second over in the powerplay with a delivery that beat an attempted cut shot through angle and skid. Lucknow Super Giants reached 48 for 2 at the end of the powerplay but had already lost their most experienced batting resource.
Mukesh Kumar set a disciplined tone in the powerplay, conceding just 17 runs from three overs while keeping Mitchell Marsh pinned down by denying him width or anything short. Lungi Ngidi, playing his first match for Delhi Capitals after making his franchise debut, produced the delivery of the contest in the middle overs: a dipping slower ball angled into the stumps from around the wicket that completely deceived Nicholas Pooran and bowled him for 8.
Why did Lucknow Super Giants collapse from 48 for 2 to 71 for 5 in their innings at Ekana Stadium?
Delhi Capitals tightened their grip on the Lucknow Super Giants innings through their spinners in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel applied sustained pressure, and Lucknow Super Giants slipped to 71 for 5 in the 10th over after Marsh was caught at long-off off Kuldeep Yadav for 35 off 28 balls. Marsh had attempted to clear the boundary but failed to get to the pitch of Kuldeep Yadav’s delivery.
Abdul Samad provided the most resilient contribution from the Lucknow Super Giants lower order. Coming in with his side in trouble, Samad struck T Natarajan for a six and a boundary in the 15th over in an innings of 36 off 25 balls that briefly pushed Lucknow Super Giants past the 130-run mark. Natarajan dismissed Samad at long-off to end that resistance. Lungi Ngidi wrapped up the tail in the 19th over, taking three wickets in the space of four deliveries, as Lucknow Super Giants were bowled out for 141 with eight balls of their innings unused.
T Natarajan finished with 3 for 29 from four overs, Lungi Ngidi finished with 3 for 27 from 3.4 overs, and Kuldeep Yadav finished with 2 for 31. Axar Patel dismissed Markram and remained economical throughout, while Mukesh Kumar’s three powerplay overs for 17 runs set the foundation for the bowling performance.
How did Mohammed Shami set a new Indian Premier League record on the first ball of Delhi Capitals’ chase?
Delhi Capitals’ chase collapsed dramatically inside the powerplay. Mohammed Shami dismissed KL Rahul on the very first delivery of the second innings, with Rahul caught at third man for a golden duck. The dismissal was Shami’s fifth first-ball wicket across Indian Premier League innings, making him the first bowler in Indian Premier League history to achieve this record. Mohsin Khan then removed Nitish Rana for 15 with an edge to first slip. Prince Yadav bowled both Pathum Nissanka and Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel in a single over, leaving Delhi Capitals in severe difficulty at 26 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.
The red-soil surface at the Ekana Cricket Stadium offered Lucknow Super Giants’ fast bowlers swing and seam movement for an unusually extended period in a Twenty20 match, and for a period the modest target of 142 appeared genuinely challenging.
How did Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs rescue Delhi Capitals from 26 for 4 to win the IPL 2026 match in Lucknow?
Delhi Capitals exercised their Impact Player substitution to bring in Sameer Rizvi, a 21-year-old right-handed batter from Uttar Pradesh. Rizvi joined Tristan Stubbs at the crease with Delhi Capitals at 26 for 4. The two batters constructed an unbroken 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket, the highest partnership Delhi Capitals have recorded against Lucknow Super Giants for any wicket in the Indian Premier League.
Playing at the Ekana Cricket Stadium before a home crowd, Rizvi gradually found his footing and then accelerated sharply through the middle overs. Shahbaz Ahmed, brought on as an Impact Player substitute for Lucknow Super Giants, conceded 16 runs in his only over, which shifted momentum decisively toward Delhi Capitals. Rizvi brought up his half-century and finished the chase with a six, ending unbeaten on 70 off 47 balls with five fours and four sixes. Tristan Stubbs provided composed support from the other end, finishing unbeaten on 39 off 32 balls.
Delhi Capitals completed the chase with 17 balls to spare, winning by six wickets. Sameer Rizvi was named Player of the Match for his career-best innings of 70 not out. The result extended Delhi Capitals’ unbeaten record against Lucknow Super Giants to five wins from five encounters since the 2024 Indian Premier League season. Prince Yadav was the pick of the Lucknow Super Giants bowlers with 2 for 20, while Mohammed Shami and Mohsin Khan each took one wicket.
For Lucknow Super Giants, the loss underlined recurring issues in their middle order and an inability to convert a promising powerplay total into a competitive score on a pitch that offered their bowlers considerable assistance. The side will look to regroup before their next fixture as the Indian Premier League 2026 season continues.
Key takeaways on what the Delhi Capitals victory over Lucknow Super Giants means for IPL 2026
- Delhi Capitals claimed the first away victory of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, defeating Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow and opening their points tally with two points from their first match of the season.
- Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, scored as an Impact Player substitute after entering the match with Delhi Capitals at 26 for 4, produced the highest partnership Delhi Capitals have recorded against Lucknow Super Giants for any wicket in the Indian Premier League, an unbroken 119-run fifth-wicket stand with Tristan Stubbs.
- Delhi Capitals extended their unbeaten record against Lucknow Super Giants to five wins from five Indian Premier League encounters since 2024, reinforcing sustained dominance over the Lucknow franchise in recent seasons.
- Lucknow Super Giants were bowled out for 141 in 18.4 overs despite reaching 48 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, with their middle order failing to convert the platform set in the first six overs and their captain Rishabh Pant dismissed in unfortunate run-out circumstances in the third over.
- Mohammed Shami became the first bowler in Indian Premier League history to take five wickets on the first ball of an innings, dismissing KL Rahul with the opening delivery of Delhi Capitals’ chase, though Lucknow Super Giants were ultimately unable to defend a below-par total of 141.
LSG vs DC scorecard: Delhi Capitals beat Lucknow Super Giants by 6 wickets in IPL 2026 Match 5 at Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Marsh | c Tristan Stubbs b Kuldeep Yadav | 35 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 125.00 |
| Rishabh Pant (c & wk) | run out (Mukesh Kumar) | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 77.78 |
| Aiden Markram | b Axar Patel | 11 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 137.50 |
| Ayush Badoni | c KL Rahul b T Natarajan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Nicholas Pooran | b Lungi Ngidi | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Abdul Samad | c David Miller b T Natarajan | 36 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 144.00 |
| Mukul Choudhary | c and b Kuldeep Yadav | 14 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 127.27 |
| Shahbaz Ahmed (Imp Sub) | not out | 15 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 93.75 |
| Mohammed Shami | c Kuldeep Yadav b T Natarajan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Anrich Nortje | c Tristan Stubbs b Lungi Ngidi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mohsin Khan | c Mukesh Kumar b Lungi Ngidi | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 14 (b 4, lb 8, w 2, nb 0) | |||||
| TOTAL 141 all out | 18.4 Overs | RR: 7.55 | ||||||
| Did Not Bat | Prince Yadav | |||||
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | NB | WD | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mukesh Kumar | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5.70 |
| Lungi Ngidi (Debut) | 3.4 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7.40 |
| Axar Patel (c) | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.70 |
| T Natarajan | 4 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7.20 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 4 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.80 |
| Vipraj Nigam | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.00 |
| # | Batter 1 (R/B) | Runs | Batter 2 (R/B) | Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Marsh 11(9) | 19 | Rishabh Pant 7(9) | 18 |
| 2 | Mitchell Marsh 9(9) | 29 | Aiden Markram 11(8) | 17 |
| 3 | Mitchell Marsh 1(1) | 1 | Ayush Badoni 0(3) | 4 |
| 4 | Mitchell Marsh 8(6) | 16 | Nicholas Pooran 8(8) | 14 |
| 5 | Mitchell Marsh 6(3) | 6 | Abdul Samad 0(1) | 4 |
| 6 | Mukul Choudhary 14(11) | 34 | Abdul Samad 16(11) | 22 |
| 7 | Shahbaz Ahmed 13(13) | 33 | Abdul Samad 20(13) | 26 |
| 8 | Shahbaz Ahmed 1(1) | 2 | Mohammed Shami 1(2) | 3 |
| 9 | Shahbaz Ahmed 1(2) | 1 | Anrich Nortje 0(1) | 3 |
| 10 | Shahbaz Ahmed 0(0) | 0 | Mohsin Khan 0(1) | 1 |
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul (wk) | c Mohsin Khan b Mohammed Shami | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Pathum Nissanka | c Rishabh Pant b Prince Yadav | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Nitish Rana | c Abdul Samad b Mohsin Khan | 15 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 88.24 |
| Sameer Rizvi (Imp Sub) | not out ⭐ | 70 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 148.94 |
| Axar Patel (c) | b Prince Yadav | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tristan Stubbs | not out | 39 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 121.88 |
| Extras | 20 (b 0, lb 4, w 16, nb 0) | |||||
| TOTAL 145 for 4 | 17.1 Overs | RR: 8.45 | ||||||
| Did Not Bat | David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar | |||||
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | NB | WD | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shami | 4 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7.00 |
| Prince Yadav | 3 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6.70 |
| Mohsin Khan | 4 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.80 |
| Anrich Nortje (Debut) | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9.80 |
| Shahbaz Ahmed (Imp Sub) | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.00 |
| Aiden Markram | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.00 |
| Abdul Samad | 0.1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36.00 |
| # | Batter 1 (R/B) | Runs | Batter 2 (R/B) | Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KL Rahul 0(1) | 0 | Pathum Nissanka 0(0) | 1 |
| 2 | Nitish Rana 15(17) | 21 | Pathum Nissanka 1(3) | 20 |
| 3 | Sameer Rizvi 0(3) | 4 | Pathum Nissanka 0(2) | 5 |
| 4 | Sameer Rizvi 0(0) | 1 | Axar Patel 0(1) | 1 |
| 5★ | Sameer Rizvi 70*(44) | 119 | Tristan Stubbs 39*(32) | 76 |
| Player of the Match | Sameer Rizvi — 70* (47b, 5×4, 4×6, SR: 148.94) ⭐ |
| Highest partnership | Rizvi–Stubbs: 119* (5th wkt, unbroken, 76 balls) — DC record vs LSG for any wicket |
| Best bowling — 1st innings | T Natarajan 3/29 (4 ov) | Lungi Ngidi 3/27 (3.4 ov) |
| Best bowling — 2nd innings | Prince Yadav 2/20 (3 ov) | Mohsin Khan 1/19 (4 ov, 1 M) |
| IPL record — Shami | Mohammed Shami dismissed KL Rahul on the first ball of DC’s innings — his 5th first-ball wicket in the IPL (all-time record) |
| DC record vs LSG | 5 wins from 5 encounters since IPL 2024 — unbeaten streak intact |
| First away win — IPL 2026 | Delhi Capitals became the first away team to win a match in Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Margin | Delhi Capitals won by 6 wickets with 17 balls remaining |
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