Introduction
IPL 2026 had already delivered a statement scoreline Punjab Kings outlasting Gujarat Titans in a nerve-shredding Mohali thriller the night before but Match 5 at Ekana gave the tournament something entirely different: bowling brilliance, a chaotic powerplay collapse, and then a partnership so commanding it made the chase look inevitable.
Lucknow Super Giants, led by Rishabh Pant in his second season at the helm, hosted Delhi Capitals for the final opening-round fixture. DC captain Axar Patel won the toss and sent LSG in. What followed was 18.4 overs of sustained bowling pressure that left LSG all out for just 141 the lowest first-innings total of their franchise history at Ekana. When DC then crumbled to 26/4 inside the powerplay, the stadium found its voice. But one man had not yet batted.
Sameer Rizvi, a 21-year-old from Uttar Pradesh playing on his home ground as an Impact Player substitute, walked in and simply refused to leave. His unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, combined with an unbroken 119-run stand alongside Tristan Stubbs, turned a wobbling chase into a controlled demolition. The cricket world now has a new name to remember.
Match Overview
| Tournament | Indian Premier League 2026 Match 5 |
| Venue | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow (Cap. 50,000) |
| Date | 1 April 2026 |
| Toss | DC won chose to bowl first |
| Weather / Pitch | Night match seam-friendly early on, two-paced surface, square bdys 57–64m, straight 77m |
| Result | Delhi Capitals won by 6 wickets |
| Balls Remaining | 17 balls (DC chased 142 in 17.1 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Sameer Rizvi — 70* off 47 balls (SR 148.9) |
Match at a Glance
| 141/10 | 145/4 | 286 | 6 wkts |
| LSG Total | DC Total | Combined Runs | Winning Margin |
| 18.4 overs | 17.1 overs | Lowest aggregate for DC vs LSG in IPL | 17 balls to spare |
Lucknow Super Giants Innings: 141 All Out (18.4 overs)
Lucknow Super Giants were put in on a surface that offered more to the seam bowlers than its reputation suggested. Captain Rishabh Pant made a bold tactical call, promoting himself to open the batting alongside Mitchell Marsh in a bid to create a left-right combination and deny Delhi the use of their left-arm spin angle. The experiment lasted nine balls. Mukesh Kumar’s deflection off Marsh’s straight drive found the stumps with Pant stranded out of his crease, and the captain walked off for just 7 off 9 with a sarcastic smile, as commentators noted.
From there, the innings never fully recovered. Aiden Markram arrived at three and provided brief resistance alongside Marsh, but once he fell to Axar Patel, the middle order crumbled. Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, and Mukul Choudhary all failed to launch the acceleration LSG desperately needed. Marsh’s 35 off 28 balls was the one anchor, and Abdul Samad’s gutsy 36 off 25 provided something for the scoreboard, but meaningful partnerships never materialised. A crippling 20 extras wides, no-balls compounded the misery. LSG were bowled out for 141 in 18.4 overs, their lowest ever first-innings total at Ekana.
LSG Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Balls | Runs | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
| Aiden Markram | 18 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 116.7 | c Kuldeep b Axar (Ov 7) |
| Mitchell Marsh | 28 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 125.0 | b Natarajan (Ov 11) |
| Rishabh Pant (c/wk) | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 77.8 | run out Mukesh (Ov 3) |
| Ayush Badoni | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | c Rahul b Ngidi (Ov 4) |
| Nicholas Pooran | 14 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 85.7 | c Stubbs b Ngidi (Ov 9) |
| Abdul Samad | 25 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 144.0 | c Rahul b Natarajan (Ov 16) |
| Mukul Choudhary | 14 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 | c&b Kuldeep (Ov 13) |
| Mohsin Khan | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | b Natarajan (Ov 17) |
| Anrich Nortje | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 83.3 | c Kuldeep b Axar (Ov 18) |
| Shahbaz Ahmed* | 11 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 136.4 | NOT OUT (impact sub) |
| Prince Yadav | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | b Ngidi (Ov 18) |
| Extras | 20 (wd 14, nb 4, lb 2) | |||||
| TOTAL | 141 all out in 18.4 overs | Run Rate: 7.55 | |||||
LSG Partnerships
| Wicket | Runs | Balls | Key Batters |
| 1st | 19 | 18 | Markram & Marsh |
| 2nd | 8 | 9 | Marsh & Pant (brief) |
| 3rd | 27 | 22 | Marsh & Markram |
| 4th | 0 | 1 | Badoni dismissed first ball |
| 5th | 10 | 10 | Marsh & Pooran |
| 6th | 34 | 22 | Samad & Mukul Choudhary |
| 7th | 10 | 8 | Samad & Mohsin |
| 8th | 8 | 6 | Samad & Nortje |
| 9th / 10th | 19* | 8 | Shahbaz Ahmed carries innings to close |
DC Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Dot Balls |
| T Natarajan | 4 | 29 | 3 | 7.25 | 11 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 3.4 | 27 | 3 | 7.36 | 9 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 4 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 | 12 |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 | 9 |
| Mukesh Kumar | 3 | 32 | 0 | 10.67 | 7 |
T Natarajan and Lungi Ngidi shared six wickets between them and were the destroyers-in-chief. Natarajan removed Marsh, the last recognised anchor, in the 11th over, and Ngidi’s spell three wickets for 27 in under four overs — was relentless. Kuldeep Yadav choked the middle with 12 dot balls and two wickets, and Axar was clever and miserly. The only outlier was Mukesh Kumar, who went for 32 and was the one bowler LSG could target. Twenty extras (14 wides, 4 no-balls) gave LSG free runs they did not earn but even with those gifts, they could only reach 141.
Delhi Capitals Chase: 145/4 (17.1 overs)
The chase of 142 should have been a stroll. It nearly became a catastrophe. Mohammed Shami struck with the very first ball, KL Rahul gone for a golden duck bowled first-ball in what instantly became the talking point of the evening. Pathum Nissanka and Nitish Rana followed quickly, and when captain Axar Patel was pinned lbw by Prince Yadav’s brilliant inswinger, Delhi were 26/4 inside five overs. The Ekana crowd roared.
But at 3.3 overs, with the Impact Player substitution already registered, Sameer Rizvi was padded up and waiting. He walked to the crease and, from that moment on, the result was never truly in doubt even if it took another 80 or so deliveries to make it official.
Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs began cautiously, respecting the movement on offer, rotating the strike intelligently, and refusing to gift their wicket. As the ball got older and the field spread, they shifted gears. Rizvi crunched Shahbaz Ahmed through cover for three successive fours in one over that changed the tempo entirely. Stubbs, the composed South African, kept the run rate ticking with cool efficiency. By the time the 17th over arrived, Delhi needed just 16 from 24 and Rizvi finished it with a pulled six over deep midwicket off Shami. The 21-year-old raised his bat, punched Stubbs’ arms, and smiled. He had come home.
DC Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Balls | Runs | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
| KL Rahul (wk) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | b Shami (Ov 1, first ball) |
| Pathum Nissanka | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 66.7 | c Pant b Prince Yadav (Ov 3) |
| Nitish Rana | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 62.5 | c Nortje b Shami (Ov 3) |
| Axar Patel (c) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | lbw b Prince Yadav (Ov 4) |
| Tristan Stubbs* | 32 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 121.9 | NOT OUT |
| Sameer Rizvi* (IMP) | 47 | 70 | 5 | 4 | 148.9 | NOT OUT ⭐ |
| Extras | 4 (wides 4) | |||||
| TOTAL | 145/4 in 17.1 overs | Run Rate: 8.45 | Target achieved with 17 balls to spare | |||||
DC Partnerships
| Wicket | Runs | Balls | Key Batters |
| 1st | 0 | 1 | Rahul — first ball duck |
| 2nd | 7 | 10 | Nissanka & Rana |
| 3rd | 6 | 6 | Rana & Axar |
| 4th | 13 | 12 | Axar & Stubbs (Rizvi enters) |
| 5th (unbroken) | 119* | 85 | Rizvi & Stubbs — match-winning stand |
LSG Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Dot Balls |
| Mohammed Shami | 4 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 | 9 |
| Prince Yadav | 3 | 20 | 2 | 6.67 | 8 |
| Mohsin Khan | 4 | 19 | 1 | 4.75 | 15 |
| Anrich Nortje | 3 | 28 | 0 | 9.33 | 7 |
| Aiden Markram | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 | 1 |
| Shahbaz Ahmed (IMP) | 2.1 | 30 | 0 | 13.85 | 2 |
Shami and Prince Yadav were the match-makers with the ball, reducing DC to a scene of ruin at 26/4. Shami’s first-ball dismissal of KL Rahul was the spark, and Prince Yadav’s inswinging dismissal of Axar was devastating. Mohsin Khan in his first competitive appearance since December 2024 was the most economical bowler on the night, conceding just 19 from 4 overs and collecting 15 dot balls and the first maiden of IPL 2026. But once Rizvi broke free against Shahbaz Ahmed, the game was gone. Nortje was expensive, Markram’s one over cost 11, and Shahbaz conceded 30 in 13 balls after entering as an impact sub for a side that simply did not have enough runs on the board.
Phase-by-Phase Analysis
| Phase | LSG Batting | DC Chasing | Swing |
| Powerplay (1–6) | 48/2 | 26/4 | LSG led — DC in crisis |
| Middle (7–15) | 57/4 | 93/4 | DC closed gap via Rizvi & Stubbs |
| Death (16–20) | 36/4 | 26/0 | DC closed out comfortably |
| Run Rate | 7.55 | 8.45 | DC faster overall |
The contrast between the two innings is most vivid in the death overs. DC’s last four overs cost LSG zero wickets and just 26 runs. In their own death, LSG fell apart losing four wickets in the last three overs for just 36 runs. The ball was doing enough early to create genuine drama in both innings, but quality prevailed: DC’s bowlers were more disciplined in the middle, and Rizvi was simply too good in the back end of the chase.
Player Spotlights
| Sameer Rizvi: 70* off 47 balls (SR 148.9) Player of the Match | Impact Substitute | IPL Career-Best There are innings, and then there are statements. Sameer Rizvi entered at 26/4 in the fifth over and turned a potential collapse into a canter. What made his knock exceptional was not merely the runs, but the intelligence: he respected the movement for three full overs, nudging singles, refusing to gift his wicket, before identifying the right moment to attack. When Shahbaz Ahmed came on as LSG’s impact sub, Rizvi greeted him with three consecutive fours in one over picking his lengths early, driving with power, and breaking the spell that had held DC back. He finished with 5 fours and 4 sixes across 47 balls, the most sixes of any batter in the match. Playing on his home ground in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh cricketer said afterwards he’d been told he would bat at No. 4 and had been given full support by the coaching staff an investment that paid off magnificently. |
| Tristan Stubbs: 39* off 32 balls (SR 121.9) Fifth-Wicket Partner | Unbeaten | 119-Run Stand Stubbs’ contribution is easily underestimated in the shadow of Rizvi’s brilliance, but it was Stubbs who steadied the chase during its most uncertain phase. When he entered at the fall of Axar’s wicket with DC still reeling, the South African power-hitter played an innings almost entirely built on composure rotating the strike, running hard, taking the pressure off Rizvi to score every ball. His three boundaries and one six were all placed with intent rather than panic, and his 32-ball knock across the critical middle phase was the ballast that allowed Rizvi to attack freely at the other end. |
| T Natarajan: 3/29 (4 overs, Economy 7.25) Best Bowler: LSG Innings Natarajan was DC’s lead wicket-taker, snaring three key scalps including the critical wicket of Mitchell Marsh in the 11th over that ended LSG’s last substantial partnership. His ability to vary his yorker with a slower delivery kept the LSG batters guessing throughout, and his 11 dot balls in 4 overs were the most disciplined spell of the innings. The Tamil Nadu left-arm quick was eventually substituted out at 3.3 overs of the second innings replaced by Rizvi as DC’s impact player but his work with the ball was already done. |
| Mohammed Shami: 2/37 (4 overs, Economy 9.25) LSG Spearhead | Dismissal of KL Rahul on First Ball Shami’s opening-ball wicket of KL Rahul became the moment that defined the first half of DC’s chase an inswinger that crashed into the stumps before the wicketkeeper had even settled. That delivery made Shami only the fifth bowler in IPL history to take five wickets on the first ball of an innings across his career. He followed it up by dismissing Nitish Rana in the same over, reducing DC to 9/2 with barely a ball bowled. His economy drifted as the innings wore on and Rizvi found his range, but for those first six deliveries, Shami gave LSG a platform to dream. |
| Mohsin Khan: 1/19 (4 overs, Economy 4.75) Most Economical Bowler | First Maiden of IPL 2026 | 15 Dot Balls Mohsin Khan’s performance was the quiet subplot of the evening. Playing his first competitive match since December 31, 2024, the left-arm seamer looked sharp, angled, and entirely unaffected by the long layoff. His 4 overs cost just 19 runs the lowest figure of any bowler with a full allotment on either side and his 15 dot balls were the most of any bowler in the match. He also bowled the first maiden over of IPL 2026. Had LSG posted 170+, his economy alone might have won them the match. The fact they only reached 141 made it irrelevant, but Mohsin’s return to form is the most encouraging sign from an otherwise disappointing LSG performance. |
Key Turning Points
| 1 | Rishabh Pant’s Run-Out in the 3rd Over Pant’s decision to open the batting a bold tactical reshuffle to create a left-right combination lasted nine deliveries. Mukesh Kumar’s deflection off a Marsh straight drive flicked the stumps with Pant out of his ground. LSG were 19/1 and their captain was back in the pavilion, walking off with what commentators called “a sarcastic smile.” The experiment had failed publicly. Without Pant at the crease through the middle, LSG’s batting order never found its spine. |
| 2 | KL Rahul: Golden Duck, First Ball of DC’s Chase When Shami dismissed Rahul with the first delivery of DC’s innings, the psychological weight was immediate and enormous. Rahul had been expected to anchor the chase alongside Nissanka. Instead, DC were 0/1 after one ball. Three more wickets fell in the next four overs. A chase that looked comfortable suddenly looked like a banana skin. The Ekana crowd was at full volume. The game had shifted completely. |
| 3 | DC Crash to 26/4 Inside the Powerplay Prince Yadav’s inswinging dismissal of Axar Patel an immaculate delivery that nipped back and trapped the DC captain plumb lbw was the moment LSG truly believed. Four wickets, 26 runs, five overs gone. The required run rate was still only around 8 an over, but the batting depth behind the dismissed batters was thin. One more wicket and the game could unravel entirely. Instead, Rizvi walked in. |
| 4 | Rizvi Breaks Free Against Shahbaz Ahmed (Ov 14–16) The tactical calculus of LSG’s Impact Player choice Shahbaz Ahmed for Mitchell Marsh, to extend the batting backfired badly. Shahbaz’s two overs cost 30 runs as Rizvi attacked him from the first delivery, finding the boundary three times in one over. The scoring rate rocketed. DC needed 49 off 42 when Shahbaz began; they needed 16 off 24 when he finished. The match had turned, permanently. |
| 5 | Rizvi Seals the Win with a Six Off Shami (Ov 17) With 16 needed off 24 balls, Rizvi was not content to wait. A long-hop from Shami outside off was hauled over deep midwicket with a pull six runs, a celebration, a hug with Stubbs. Two balls later, Delhi were over the line. Rizvi finished unbeaten on 70, the match was done with 17 balls to spare, and a young man from Lucknow had broken the hearts of his home city’s team. |
Match Analysis
| What Worked for DC | What Went Wrong for LSG |
| Rizvi’s Impact Player substitution a masterstroke of planningDisciplined bowling unit: Natarajan, Ngidi, Kuldeep all on targetRizvi–Stubbs unbroken 119-run 5th-wicket stand (DC IPL record)Axar’s toss decision correctly read the pitch conditionsComposure under pressure after the 26/4 collapseSmart chase management absorbed the new-ball pressure before attacking | Pant’s opening gamble failed lost captain for 7 in 3rd over20 extras: 14 wides and 4 no-balls gifted DC free runsNo partnership of substance: only Samad–Choudhary stand exceeded 25Only 3 sixes in 18.4 overs on a good batting surfaceShahbaz Ahmed impact sub choice: 30 runs in 13 balls141 total was never enough to defend at Ekana |
Captaincy Insight
Axar Patel’s captaincy was composed and creative. His toss decision to bowl first correctly reading a pitch that had more help for seamers than expected set the tone. His bowling changes were sharp: Natarajan and Ngidi were rotated with purpose, Kuldeep was deployed at the right stage of the innings, and Axar’s own spell was tidy. In the chase, his lbw dismissal was a setback, but the team’s execution of the pre-planned strategy (Rizvi as impact batter) was perfect.
Rishabh Pant’s captaincy, by contrast, raised questions. The decision to open the batting himself breaking up a top three of Markram, Marsh, and Pooran that had been so productive in IPL 2025 was a gamble that failed publicly. His run-out for 7 from 9 balls put LSG under immediate pressure they never escaped. In the field, his bowlers performed competently in the powerplay but the impact-player selection (Shahbaz Ahmed over Digvesh Rathi) was debated by commentators, and the failure to contain Rizvi in the crucial 14th–16th overs proved decisive. Pant acknowledged post-match that the opening experiment was “a 50-50 call” and that decisions would be reviewed for the next fixture.
Full Match Summary Stats
| Combined Runs | 286 (141 + 145) |
| Total Sixes (Both Innings) | 6 (2 LSG + 4 DC) |
| Total Fours (Both Innings) | Approx. 32 (12 LSG + 20 DC) |
| LSG Run Rate | 7.55 |
| DC Run Rate | 8.45 |
| Winning Margin | 6 wickets, 17 balls to spare |
| Top Scorer | Sameer Rizvi: 70* (47) |
| Best Bowler (LSG innings) | T Natarajan: 3/29 + Lungi Ngidi: 3/27 |
| Best Bowler (DC chase) | Mohammed Shami: 2/37, Prince Yadav: 2/20 |
| Most Dot Balls | Mohsin Khan: 15 dots |
| Best Economy | Mohsin Khan: 4.75 (4 overs, 19 runs) |
| Best Partnership | Rizvi & Stubbs: 119* (5th wkt, DC IPL record) |
| Lowest Aggregate, DC vs LSG in IPL | 286 runs: new record |
Records & Milestones
- Rizvi & Stubbs’ 119* is DC’s highest 5th-wicket partnership in IPL history (prev. 111 by Rahul & Stubbs).
- The 119* stand is also the 2nd-highest IPL partnership at 30/4 or worse, behind only Pathan-Shakib’s 134* for KKR in 2016.
- Shami became the first bowler to dismiss a batter on the first ball of an innings 5 times in IPL history (KL Rahul being the latest victim).
- This is DC’s 5th consecutive win against LSG in IPL since 2024.
- DC became the first away side to win a match in IPL 2026.
- Fifth consecutive win for the toss-winning side in IPL 2026.
- Fifth consecutive win for the chasing side in IPL 2026.
- 141 is LSG’s lowest first-innings total at Ekana in their franchise history.
IPL 2026 Points Table Impact
Delhi Capitals begin their 2026 campaign with two points, a strong net run rate, and enormous confidence. The Rizvi–Stubbs partnership will be the first choice power combination when situations demand it, and the bowling unit Natarajan, Ngidi, Kuldeep, Axar is balanced and disciplined. DC’s next fixture will be watched with great interest.
Lucknow Super Giants start the season at zero. The batting questions are immediate and urgent: Pant’s opening experiment must be resolved, the top order needs to bat deeper, and the extras count cannot remain in the high teens and twenties. Their bowling has the tools Shami, Mohsin, Nortje, and Prince Yadav all showed quality but 141 was never a defendable total. LSG face Sunrisers Hyderabad next, on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, where responses are demanded.
Post-Match Reactions
Sameer Rizvi (Player of the Match)
“During practice sessions and matches, I was told I’ll bat at 4 and was given a lot of support by the coaches. Playing at home, you know the conditions and that helped my state league takes place here. I wanted to be positive in the powerplay but two wickets fell and the situation changed. Stubbs told me to respect the conditions. We knew we could take the game deep and finish it off.”
Axar Patel (DC Captain)
“The new ball was moving around so a partnership at that stage was important. During the strategic time-out, we passed on the message that we were just one good partnership away from getting ourselves into a good position. Both of them finished off well in the end. I was very happy with all the bowlers. Last time Ashu proved his worth, and today Sameer proved it when you do well for the team, it makes me proud.”
Rishabh Pant (LSG Captain)
“The best way to recover from my dismissal is to ignore it you can’t control it, but thinking about it puts you on the back foot. The way we batted, we couldn’t get a partnership for long. Twenty extras hurt. You can’t put pressure on the opposition with 140. It’s a 50-50 call on the opening position, but you will definitely see me in the top order.”
Sanjiv Goenka (LSG Owner) Post-Match Viral Moment
A video of Goenka in an animated on-field discussion with Pant, head coach Justin Langer, and Director of Cricket Tom Moody went viral within minutes of the match ending, drawing immediate comparisons to the infamous 2024 incident with then-captain KL Rahul. Fans questioned whether the public nature of the conversation was appropriate. LSG later released the full, unedited video, clarifying that the discussion was light-hearted, with Goenka appearing cheerful and the group laughing together. On X (formerly Twitter), Goenka posted: “This is a long season, and moments like these are part of building something meaningful. I have full confidence in our captain and the team to respond with strength. The story of @LucknowIPL this season is far from written.”
Off-Field Drama & Viral Moments
1. The Goenka–Pant Episode
As detailed above, the post-match gathering of owner, captain, and coaching staff on the Ekana outfield became one of the night’s biggest talking points. The optics were impossible to ignore, given how the 2024 Goenka–Rahul incident had ended in Rahul’s eventual departure from the franchise. Social media was swift to draw parallels. LSG’s clarification that the meeting was warm and humorous appeared to settle the narrative, for now.
2. DC Troll LSG on Social Media
Delhi Capitals’ official social media accounts posted a sharp celebratory response after the win, further inflaming the online rivalry between the two franchises. The posts gained significant traction and were widely shared by fans of both sides.
3. Fan Altercation in the Stands
Ugly scenes unfolded inside the Ekana Stadium when a group of DC and LSG supporters exchanged blows in the stands. Video of the incident circulated widely on social media and drew condemnation from cricket fans and commentators. Stadium security intervened and the situation was brought under control, but the incident cast a shadow over an otherwise electric atmosphere at Ekana.
4. Prince Yadav–Stubbs Heated Exchange
An on-field spat between LSG’s Prince Yadav and DC’s Tristan Stubbs during the match was captured by broadcasters and became another clip that spread rapidly across cricket social media. No disciplinary action was reported, but the exchange added an edge to what was already a tense encounter in the middle period of DC’s chase.
5. LSG’s April Fool’s Day Prank
In the build-up to the match, LSG posted a cryptic “closed blue shutter” image on social media, which many interpreted as a statement about the team or a surprise selection. It was later revealed as an April Fool’s prank, and DC’s reply to the post added further fuel to the online banter.
What’s Next?
| Delhi Capitals | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Carry massive momentum from this winRizvi–Stubbs impact partnership now a proven weaponBowling unit showed excellent depth and disciplineMitchell Starc still missing (shoulder/elbow rehab) return awaitedKey focus: continuing to win tosses and backing their chase template | Next match: vs SRH at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Apr 5Opening position for Pant must be resolved urgentlyExtras must be dramatically reduced 20 is unacceptableMarkram–Marsh–Pooran top three: should it be restored?Positive: Mohsin Khan fit and bowling brilliantly a significant assetBowling attack is potent; the batting must back it up |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who won the DC vs LSG match on 1 April 2026?
Delhi Capitals won by 6 wickets, chasing down 142 with 17 balls remaining.
Q2. What were the final scores?
Lucknow Super Giants posted 141 all out in 18.4 overs. Delhi Capitals reached 145/4 in 17.1 overs.
Q3. Who was the Player of the Match?
Sameer Rizvi (Delhi Capitals) for his unbeaten 70 off 47 balls as an Impact Player substitute a career-best IPL knock.
Q4. Why did LSG lose despite bowling DC out to 26/4?
LSG’s total of 141 was simply too low to defend, even with four early wickets. The 119-run unbroken partnership between Rizvi and Stubbs was of a calibre that would have overhauled any target in the 140–160 range on this surface. The Impact Player system also played a significant role: with Rizvi coming in as a designated top-order impact batter, DC had prepared specifically for a situation where the top order might fail.
Q5. What records were broken in this match?
Rizvi & Stubbs set DC’s highest 5th-wicket IPL partnership (119*). Shami became the first IPL bowler to dismiss batters on the opening delivery of an innings five times in his career. 141 is LSG’s lowest ever first-innings total at Ekana. The combined match aggregate of 286 is the lowest in any LSG vs DC IPL contest.
Q6. Where was the match played and when?
At the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on the evening of 1 April 2026. It was a night match.
Q7. What happened with Sanjiv Goenka after the match?
Goenka was seen in an animated on-field discussion with captain Pant and the coaching staff, which went viral and drew comparisons to the 2024 Rahul incident. LSG later released the full video showing the conversation was relaxed and friendly. Goenka also posted a supportive message on X backing Pant and the team.
Conclusion
The DC vs LSG clash on 1 April 2026 will be remembered above all for Sameer Rizvi. His unbeaten 70 on home soil, in the face of a four-wicket collapse and a crowd that turned against his team the moment it sensed an upset, was a performance of remarkable composure and skill for a 21-year-old. The cricket world has its next name.
But this match also exposed real fault lines on both sides. For LSG, the batting order reshuffling, the extras count, and the failure to post a competitive total are issues that demand immediate answers before their clash with SRH. For DC, the powerplay fragility 26/4 against a bowling attack that was, on paper, less threatening than some they’ll face later in the season is a warning sign that cannot be entirely papered over by the brilliance of one impact substitute.
As IPL 2026 gathers momentum, with Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings also flying and teams like Mumbai Indians, CSK, and Kolkata yet to settle their form, every result in these opening fixtures shapes the tournament narrative. Match 5 set two storylines in motion: Rizvi’s arrival, and the first real questions about Lucknow’s ability to fulfil their billing as a serious contender. Both storylines will run all season.
