Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant with teammates (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)

Ex-India batter Abhinav Mukund has questioned the direction and team structure of Lucknow Super Giants after their defeat to Delhi Capitals, pointing to a lack of clarity in how the side is shaping up in IPL 2026. The criticism followed a convincing six-wicket win for Delhi, powered by Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70 and his decisive 119-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs, which took the game away from LSG at the Ekana Stadium. Mukund admitted he remains unconvinced about Lucknow’s identity as a team, especially when compared to other relatively new franchises. “I’m very unsure about LSG. They are a very young side in the IPL. So are Gujarat Titans, who are slowly building an identity towards who they are. They might have lost their first game (in 2026) but you know what Gujarat Titans will come up with on a certain day. “They are top-heavy. They rely on their bowlers. They rely on their experience in the middle in terms of their spinners. With Lucknow, you always feel like there is no identity within the team,” he told ESPNCricinfo. He went on to highlight what he sees as a key difference between the two sides. While Gujarat Titans have established a clear approach built around their bowling strength and spin resources, Mukund believes Lucknow continue to lack a defined style of play. According to him, LSG’s performances often hinge on moments of individual brilliance rather than a structured system. “You expect performances from the top, you expect a sudden performance, like a Mark Wood sometimes comes up and picks up five wickets. You want those individual brilliant performances to drive your team. It’s always been the case for Lucknow.” Mukund also raised concerns over team balance and selection decisions in the match. “Even today, I felt the balance of the team was pretty off, seven batters and four bowlers. And then you had to sacrifice your find of last season. I know he may not have followed that up with an excellent domestic season. He’s not been amongst the wickets. “He’s not had a great domestic season but that doesn’t mean – you’ve released Ravi Bishnoi, which means you’ve had your faith in Digvesh Rathi and said ‘okay, you are my number one spinner and you don’t play him the first match,” he noted. With LSG already facing questions after their opening defeat, Mukund’s remarks underline growing concerns around the team’s balance, selection clarity, and overall identity as the season begins.

Sanjiv Goenka and Rishabh Pant (X)

Lucknow Super Giants found themselves under early pressure in IPL 2026 after a disappointing six-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals at home, a result that not only exposed batting concerns but also sparked conversation off the field. LSG struggled to get going with the bat, folding for just 141 in their opening game. The top order failed to deliver, with captain Rishabh Pant scoring 7, Aiden Markram managing 11, and Nicholas Pooran contributing only 8. While the bowlers made early inroads, Delhi turned the chase around through a composed unbeaten 70 from Sameer Rizvi and a steady 39 not out from Tristan Stubbs, sealing the game with 2.5 overs to spare. However, it was what followed after the match that drew just as much attention. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen in an on-field conversation with Pant, with head coach Justin Langer also part of the discussion. While no audio was available, the visuals suggested an intense exchange, and the clip quickly gained traction across social media. The moment inevitably brought back memories of a similar incident involving Goenka and former LSG captain KL Rahul during the 2024 season. That episode, widely viewed as a public fallout after a defeat, had drawn criticism at the time, and comparisons resurfaced following the latest visuals. Despite the speculation, Goenka struck a measured tone in his public response. Taking to X after the game, he backed his side and urged patience.

Sanjiv Goenka post

“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. To our fans, thank you for your support at Ekana today, we will come back stronger. The story of @LucknowIPL this season is far from written,” he wrote. On the tactical front, Pant’s decision to promote himself to the top of the order also became a talking point. Having largely operated in the middle order in recent seasons, the move did not pay off in the opener. Pant was run out for 7 at the non-striker’s end after Mukesh Kumar got a fingertip deflection onto a powerful straight drive from Mitchell Marsh. When asked if he would continue opening alongside Markram and Marsh, Pant kept his options open. “It’s a 50-50 call,” he said after the match. With questions emerging around team balance, batting roles, and the early loss, LSG now face a crucial phase as they look to settle into the season and respond strongly in the games ahead.

Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs (Image Credit: IPL)

Sameer Rizvi announced himself in style, producing a composed and match-winning unbeaten 70 to guide Delhi Capitals to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in Match 5 of IPL 2026. Walking in under pressure with Delhi reeling at 26 for 4 in a modest chase of 142, Rizvi showcased maturity beyond his years. Alongside Tristan Stubbs, he stitched together an unbeaten 119-run partnership that completely turned the game on its head and sealed the chase in just 17.1 overs.Calm under pressure: Rizvi’s maturity shines throughRizvi revealed after the match that clarity in role and backing from the team management played a key part in his performance.“The coaches backed me to bat at number four this season. I just tried to play according to the situation,” he said.Initially looking to play positively, Rizvi had to quickly reassess after Delhi lost wickets in a cluster.”But as soon as in the next over, two wickets fell, the situation changed completely. So I tried to talk to Stubbs. He said, let’s take a little time. There are a lot of overs left and the run rate is also down. We should respect the conditions, so we talked and decided that we would play our game. Not only after reaching fifty, but I tried to put the loose delivery away and that was my plan throughout the innings,” Rizvi concluded.

Partnership that changed the game

The Rizvi–Stubbs stand of 119* not only rescued Delhi from a collapse but also etched itself into IPL history. It is the second-highest partnership after a team was four down for under 30 runs, only behind the 134* stand between Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan for KKR in 2016.It also became Delhi Capitals’ highest partnership for the fifth wicket or lower, surpassing the previous best of 111*.Stubbs played the perfect supporting role with an unbeaten 39, ensuring there was no further damage while Rizvi gradually shifted gears.Tristan Stubbs reflects on his partnership with Sameer Rizvi, ” Yeah, we kept saying, keep batting normally, keep looking to score. I think the way Sameer plays naturally just against the spin, takes it on, so it made my job a bit easier. Just knock it around, get him on strike. And we always knew it was one over, and then it was down to run a ball, and then take the game away, the shots you need, and yeah, fortunately we got it there. We said at the start of the over, let’s see if it’s spinning. And I think the first three balls went for like 12 or something. ”

Axar backs bowlers and young talent

Delhi skipper Axar Patel credited both the bowlers and the match-winning partnership for the victory.“The new ball was doing a bit. We told our bowlers to exploit that, and they did really well. The key was building one big partnership in the chase, and Rizvi and Stubbs executed it perfectly.”Axar also highlighted the team’s strategy during the innings break.“During the strategic time-out, the message was clear, we were just one partnership away from taking control, the plan was to bring in Rizvi early. He’s been excellent in practice, and it’s great to see him deliver.” Axar added.

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant’s bold move to open the innings didn’t go as planned as Lucknow Super Giants slumped to a defeat against Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2026 opener, raising questions about his role at the top.Pant’s outing ended in a bizarre run-out in the third over. A straight drive from Mitchell Marsh was deflected onto the stumps by Mukesh Kumar, catching Pant well short at the non-striker’s end. The LSG skipper, who scored 7 off 9 balls, walked off visibly frustrated after the unlucky dismissal.