Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel (Pic credit: IPL)

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant faces a defining IPL 2026 season as he leads Lucknow Super Giants into their opener against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. After a mixed first year as captain, Pant now has a fully fit squad, with key additions like Mohammed Shami and Anrich Nortje bolstering the pace attack. The return of Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan further strengthens their bowling.LSG’s batting looks settled, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram at the top, while Pant is expected to bat higher up the order alongside Nicholas Pooran.Delhi, meanwhile, aim for stability after last season’s inconsistency. KL Rahul is set to open, with options like Prithvi Shaw in contention. Their bowling remains a strength, led by spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, with Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan adding depth.

LSG vs DC Head-to-Head

Pitch No. 4 is likely to be in use for today’s fixture at the Ekana Stadium. The average first-innings score here last season was 187, a slight drop from 203 in 2024. Weather conditions in Lucknow are expected to be clear, with temperatures around 28°C in the evening and no rain forecast.

LSG vs DC: Predicted XIs

Lucknow Super Giants predicted XI: Mitchell Marsh*, Aiden Markram*, Nicholas Pooran*, Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Digvesh RathiImpact Sub: Anrich Nortje*Delhi Capitals predicted XI: KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka*, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs*, Axar Patel (capt), David Miller*, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Auqib Nabi, Dushmantha Chameera*, Kuldeep YadavImpact Sub: T Natarajan

LSG vs DC: Lucknow Weather Update

Clouds and sunshine are expected during the day, with the temperature peaking around 36°C. Conditions will remain partly cloudy at night, with the temperature dropping to around 23°C.It is set to be a hot evening during match time, with no rain expected. The temperature is likely to be around 33°C at toss and could ease to about 28°C by 11 PM.

LSG vs DC: Live Streaming details

The LSG vs DC clash will be held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, with the match set to begin at 7:30 PM IST. The game will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.

LSG vs DC squads

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Maharaj Singh, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Josh Inglis, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Mukul Choudhary.Delhi Capitals: Abishek Porel, KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Tripurana Vijay, David Miller, Auqib Nabi Dar, Pathum Nissanka, Lungi Ngidi, Prithvi Shaw, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Jadav Mandal, T Natarajan, Madhav Tiwari, Karun Nair, Sahil Parakh.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) remain one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, sharing the record of five titles with Mumbai Indians and boasting 10 final appearances. Their dominance in a fiercely competitive league reflects not just on-field excellence but also a well-structured system built over the years. A major factor behind their sustained success has been the stability provided by the ownership group, which has consistently backed players and maintained a balanced squad.CSK’s philosophy has always revolved around trust and continuity. Unlike many franchises, they have prioritized retaining a strong core group even after auctions, showing long-term faith in their players, support staff, and team environment. This approach has also contributed to nurturing players who go on to perform at the international level.They have shown remarkable consistency not just on the field but also off it, with Stephen Fleming serving as their head coach since 2009. His long-term guidance has been key in building a stable, experienced team, helping CSK maintain a winning culture and remain one of the most dominant IPL franchises.Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund highlighted another unique aspect of CSK’s culture, their strong backing of players beyond the field. He revealed that the franchise has a long-standing tradition of doubling the prize money offered by the BCCI, regardless of the team’s result, a gesture that reflects their commitment to player welfare. “I think the credit should also go to the management. That time, they clearly told us that whatever prize money BCCI is offering you, whether we are losing or winning, we will double it. And this is a tradition of Chennai from day one. Ask any clear Chennai player, they will say ‘this is a tradition that they have followed’, so at that point it felt like a huge thing,” Mukund said on Doordarshan Sports.

CSK’s unforgettable start in IPL 2026

In their IPL 2026 opener on March 30, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured a crushing 8-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati. After RR’s pace attack, led by Nandre Burger (2/26) and Jofra Archer (2/19), dismantled the CSK lineup for a meager 127, 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stole the show by smashing the season’s fastest fifty in just 15 balls. Rajasthan chased down the target in a mere 12.1 overs, finishing at 128/2 to hand CSK a heavy defeat in a match that also featured Sanju Samson’s quiet debut for Chennai and Ravindra Jadeja’s successful two-wicket return to the Royals.

Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden (Video grab)

NEW CHANDIGARH: There is a particular sound that has come to define the IPL evening these days — not the applause of a boundary, but the thud of a ball disappearing several rows back, followed by a collective murmur that asks: How far did that go?In this version of T20 cricket, now 200 is not even a par total. For the bowlers, increasingly in the IPL, it feels like survival rather than contest.