excitement of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are facing Delhi Capitals (DC) in the fifth match at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. Scheduled for 7:30 PM IST on April 1, this match marks the start of the season for both teams, adding extra intensity to an already high-pressure encounter.
All eyes will be on Rishabh Pant, who is making a comeback after a disappointing 2025 campaign where LSG failed to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Axar Patel steps in as DC’s full-time captain, leading a refreshed team that missed qualification by a narrow margin last season. Adding more intrigue, Pant faces his former franchise, while KL Rahul goes up against the team he once led.
DC will start their campaign without star fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who is out with shoulder and elbow injuries. In their absence, Lungi Ngidi and Dushmantha Chameera will lead the pace attack while the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will be crucial in the middle overs.
For LSG, Aiden Markram is entering the tournament in great form, boasting an impressive strike rate in recent T20 competitions. In-form pacer Auqib Nabi Dar Can prove to be a game-changer, his swing is capable of destabilizing even the strongest batting line-ups early on.
LSG vs DC: Probable playing eleven of both the teams
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicketkeeper), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Abdul Samad, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi, Dushmantha Chameera, Mohammed Shami.
Impressive player options: Shahbaz Ahmed/Mayank Yadav
Delhi Capitals: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Auqib Nabi Dar, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Player Options: Ashutosh Sharma/T Natarajan
IPL stats and records at Ekana Cricket Stadium
- Matches played: 22
- Matches won by batting first: 9
- Matches won while batting second: 12
- Matches won by winning the toss: 14
- Matches won after losing the toss: 7
- Matches without result: 1
- Highest individual score: 118* by Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Best bowling figures: 5/14 by Mark Wood (Lucknow Super Giants) vs Delhi Capitals
- Highest team total: 235/6 (Kolkata Knight Riders) vs Lucknow Super Giants
- Lowest team total: 108 (Lucknow Super Giants) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Highest Run Chase: 177/2 (Punjab Kings) vs Lucknow Super Giants
Also read: From Mayanti Langer to Sahiba Bali: Complete list of star presenters for IPL 2026
