The Delhi Capitals beat the Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in comfortable fashion after an initial wobble in Match 5 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Being put into bat, LSG’s innings was never got moving as they were bowled out for 141. Delhi executed their bowling plans with perfection, with Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan picking up three wickets each. Kudeep Yadav and Axar Patel tightened the screws in the middle overs, as LSG kept losing their way. Marsh’s 35, filled with attractive shots, and Abdul Samad’s 36 in the back end took the Super Giants to past 140.

In response, Delhi’s innings started with the loss of KL Rahul On the first ball, as he sliced a lofted drive to third-man off Mohammed Shami’s bowling. Delhi found themselves reeling at 33/4 at the end of the powerplay, with Lucknow tearing through with great bowling on a helpful wicket.

Sameer Rizvi, coming in as the impact player, along with Tristan Stubbs, took the Delhi Capitals home with an unbeaten 119-run partnership. They absorbed the pressure and took on the Lucknow bowlers once set, and led the capitals home with seventeen balls to spare. Rizvi remained unbeaten on 70 off just 47 balls, while Stubbs stood unbeaten on 39. 

Talking points

1) New role for Rishabh Pant?

It surprised many when LSG captain Rishabh Pant walked out to open alongside Mitchell Marsh instead of South Africa’s Aiden Markram, who was Marsh’s reliable partner in 2025. Pant did not have a great outing, being run-out in unfortunate fashion, as a stray ball hit by Marsh ricocheted off Mukesh Kumar’s hands onto the stumps. Whether this was a move to combat the threat of left-arm spinner Axar Patel or a genuine fixture for the season remains to be known.

2) Natarajan makes impressive return

T Natarajan missed most of the 2025 season through injury. The Tamil Nadu speedster was signed by the Delhi Capitals for a whopping INR 10.75 crores, backing his talent as a death bowler. And he proved them right, finishing with 3/29 from his four overs. He was the pick of the bowlers for the Capitals, taking down the Lucknow batters with his control and variations. His form will be key in the absence of Mitchell Starc, as a difference point with his left-arm angles.

3) Sameer Rizvi’s rescue act

Sameer Rizvi, in 2024, was signed as one of the most hyped uncapped players for a whopping INR 8.40 crore, but failed to live up to the price tag and potential. At the last Mega Auction before the 2025 season, the Delhi Capitals picked him for INR 95 lakh. A year on, he was given the nod over Delhi’s reliable finisher Ashutosh Sharma and repaid the faith with a brilliant unbeaten 70 off 47 balls, an innings of maturity and composure, rescuing Delhi from the initial wobble.

Who said what?

Rishabh Pant, Lucknow Super Giants captain

“Best way to recover from my dismissal is to ignore it as you can’t control it. The way we batted, we couldn’t get a partnership for long. The plan was for Pooran to take on the middle overs from No. 5. We had to get someone who could add a few runs as the impact player because we didn’t have enough, on a good pitch. e had a role defined for Badoni, when we lose early wickets, that’s the time he can make a mark. We wanted to explore left-right at the top as to stop them from bowling from the left-arm spinner. There was enough help with the new ball. But you can’t put pressure on the opposition with 140. 20 extras hurt, at the same time, you try too much on a wicket like this and are trying to restrict them under 140. 50-50 call, but definitely we’ll see me in the top order.”

Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals captain

” The game finished early but middle it had become close. We just needed one partnership and that’s what we spoke about in the break. Very happy with the bowling effort. When we started with the ball, we knew there was a bit of help for the bowlers, that was communicated to whoever was coming onto bowl. You see how the match is going, there was a bigger and smaller boundary, and I was seeing who I can bowl, in the end I might have miscalculated. The plan was to play Rizvi, but also have the option to Ashutosh Sharma. Last year Ashu did it in the first game and this time Rizvi. He works hard on his game and keeps asking how he can improve himself.”

Sameer Rizvi, Player of the Match

“In the practice sessions the coaches backed me, told me I would bat at number 4 and gave me the confidence. We had good sessions and that’s what I try to replicate. If you play at a particular venue then you know how to play, my state matches are played here [Lucknow], so I knew how to go about. The plan was to be positive, but we lost two wickets in one over, so we decided to bat deep and that was the discussions with Stubbs as well. I tried to put the loose delivery away and that was my plan throughout the innings.”

Delhi Capitals registered a comfortable six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in Match 5 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1. 

After being put in to bat, LSG, led by Rishabh Pant, endured a disappointing outing, getting bowled out for just 141 in 18.4 overs. In reply, DC chased down the target in 17.1 overs, courtesy of a match-winning partnership between Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs.

It was a clinical bowling performance from the Delhi-based franchise that set up the win. Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan starred with three wickets each to rattle the LSG lineup. To everyone’s surprise, Rishabh Pant opened the batting for his side along with Mitchell Marsh. But the experiment did not materialise as Pant  was dismissed run-out after scoring just seven runs.

LSG never found momentum after early setbacks. Mitchell Marsh scored 35 off 28, while Abdul Samad chipped in with 36 off 25. However, the rest of the batting unit failed to step up. Nicholas Pooran managed just a run-a-ball eight before being bowled by Lungi Ngidi’s clever slower ball, leaving LSG struggling throughout the innings.

Chasing 142, Delhi Capitals had a nightmare start, slipping to 26/4 with their top order back in the hut. However, Rizvi and Stubbs turned the game around with a sensational partnership. Rizvi played a match-winning knock of 70 off 47, anchoring the chase with composure, while Stubbs provided excellent support with 39 off 32 balls. The duo stitched together a crucial 119-run stand, guiding DC to 145/4 in 17.1 overs and sealing the game comfortably despite early breakthroughs as LSG failed to capitalise.

It was a complete performance from Delhi Capitals, with the bowlers setting up the win and the middle order finishing the job calmly. For Lucknow Super Giants, it was a forgettable outing as they slumped to a disappointing defeat at home. 

Below are the funniest memes from LSG vs DC in Match No.5 of IPL 2026:

The Punjab Kings opened their account in IPL 2026 with a three wicket victory, in a nail-biting finish against the Gujarat Titans, at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur.

Put into bat first, the Gujarat Titans got to 162/6, with the Punjab Kings putting in a solid display in the field. Shubman Gill’s 39, Jos Buttler’s 38 and Glenn Phillips’ 25 ensured Gujarat had something to bowl at, despite it being an under-par total.

Vijaykumar Vyshak picked up three wickets for 34 runs in his four overs. Marco Jansen dismissed Sai Sudharsan early in the powerplay, and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up the key wickets of Gill and Buttler.

In response, the Punjab Kings, despite losing Priyansh Arya early, went on with their chase with ease. Debutant Cooper Connolly, along with Prabhsimran Singh, set a platform early on with a 76-run partnership for the second wicket. 

Punjab were cruising at 110/2 at the end of the 12th over, but Gujarat picked up key wickets, leaving them tottering at 118/6, with impact player Prasidh Krishna taking three wickets. Punjab lost one more before Connolly (unbeaten 72 off 44), and Bartlett, took them home with five balls to spare.

Talking points

1) Gujarat Titans middle order weakness an issue?

Gujarat Titans were heavily reliant on their top-three in 2025, as they scored the bulk of the runs. Today, the trio of Gill, Buttler and Sudharsan were dismissed early, exposing the frailties of their middle order, as they were not able to consolidate afterwards. The addition of Glenn Phillips was supposed to be a boost, but he was unable to contribute more than 25 runs. How the Titans solve this issue could define their season. 

2) Is Chahal back at his best?

Yuzvendra Chahal has the most wickets in the IPL. For years, he has outfoxed batters with deception, subtle variations and accurate bowling. The leg-spinner was at his best, dismissing the dangerous Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. Chahal showed his wits and experience today, and if he is to continue this form into the season, Punjab Kings will be a force to reckon with.

3) Connolly arrives when the lights are brightest

Cooper Connolly, the highly-rated Australian prospect, was carded in at number 3 on his debut. In his first IPL rodeo, the youngster came in early in the powerplay and took command of the chase. He held Punjab’s innings together, piercing gaps, going aerial and rotating the strike to remain unbeaten on 72. He carried on till the end, scoring vital runs despite wickets at the other end. He has been in very high regard in the Australian system, and showed glimpses of his talent at the biggest stage. 

4) Gujarat Titans do well to hold on in the death

Gujarat Titans were one of the better death-bowling sides in 2025, and they look to have continued that form into 2026. Punjab Kings were cruising at 110/2, but the Titans pulled it back, leaving them at 118/6, with six overs left in the chase. The 2025 Purple Cap winner Prasidh Krishna picked up three wickets, continuing his form from last season. With the addition of speedster Ashok Sharma, who bowled impressively at the back-end, Gujarat Titans displayed the prowess of their bowling attack. 

Who said what?

Shubman Gill, Gujarat Titans captain

“I think we bowled pretty well, we didn’t get going in the last five or six overs (with the bat), it wasn’t a 200 wicket, but if we had 175 it would have been different, but we kept losing wickets and we couldn’t get going in the last five overs. Once the ball got older it was difficult to hit down the ground, there was no pace on the wicket. When we were bowling, with the rain coming down it did not stop as much in the second innings, we did well with the bowling I could have got Prasidh on earlier, but we were in the game until the end, there will always be ifs and buts. Ashok bowled pretty well up front and in the back, as he plays more and gets more experience he will be of value for us. He works very hard on his game, he’s a good fielder for us, I met him at a camp a couple of months ago and was very impressed.”

Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings captain

“All I can say about the hand is that it’s nice, same as it was before, I don’t want to jinx anything. Some of the shots he (Connolly) played was surreal to watch, especially the one off Rashid. I was focused on my hand inside, icing it, suddenly we lost two wickets back to back, these things happen in the IPL, you have to stay composed. Cooper was there, he was composed and calm. After the third over we realised the wicket is slow, Arshdeep came and said it was holding a bit, we tried to make the ball old as soon as possible. Vyshak is carrying forward the form he performed in the last season, he is a big match player. I was surprised to see a short leg for me, I told Shubman I had never seen that before, it’s good to see captains attacking.”

Cooper Connolly, Player of the Match

“I was looking forward to the experience of playing with some world class players, but to put that performance in tonight, very happy. I spent some time with friends and family at home before this just to reset. I’m just more of a tempo player, feel the flow of my hands, don’t hit too many big sixes. Working with Ricky is great. Not a lot was said, we were quite relaxed, in a great position out there, nice to get the win with Xavier, looking forward to the rest of the tournament. That was the first time I played Rashid Khan, and I was trying to enjoy. Was nice to get the win.”