Sameer Rizvi delivered a masterful unbeaten half-century to guide Delhi Capitals to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026’s fifth encounter on Wednesday. Entering the crease with his team struggling at 21 for 2 after four overs, Rizvi remained unbeaten on 70 from 47 deliveries, featuring five boundaries and four maximums, steering DC beyond the 142-run target with 17 balls remaining. The Capitals concluded at 145 for 4 in 17.1 overs. Tristan Stubbs contributed a valuable 39 not out from 32 balls.
Previously, fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan each claimed three scalps in a commanding bowling display, restricting Lucknow Super Giants to 141 in 18.4 overs. Abdul Samad led LSG’s scoring with a 25-ball 36, while opener Mitchell Marsh contributed a 28-ball 35 after being inserted to bat first. Natarajan finished with figures of three for 29, while Ngidi matched him with three for 27. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav added two dismissals. Rizvi Stole The Game From Opposition To Claim A Perfect Win .
TOSS
Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl
PLAYING XI
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI):
Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Prince Yadav
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI):
KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS
Pant made a bold tactical adjustment regarding his batting position, opening alongside Marsh despite the successful Markram partnership from 2025. After marking his account with an elegant on-drive, Pant adopted a cautious approach initially. However, his stay proved brief when Marsh drove firmly back to Mukesh, who failed to hold a challenging return catch but watched the deflection dislodge the bails with Pant stranded mid-pitch. In leadership, Pant’s field placements remained sound, though the timing of Shahbaz’s bowling change proved counterproductive.
Mukesh Kumar extracted swing from the new ball while maintaining accurate lines. Though Pant’s dismissal came fortuitously, the Capitals executed their strategic plans effectively, with Axar Patel bowling personally to the Marsh-Markram combination while deploying Kuldeep Yadav and Lungi Ngidi against Nicholas Pooran. Ngidi excelled with his deceptive off-cutter, dismantling LSG’s middle order by clean bowling Pooran with such a delivery, complemented by several soft dismissals on a surface offering minimal assistance to bowlers.
Left-arm seamers proved invaluable assets. Two such practitioners impressed following challenging injury recoveries. Mohsin recorded economical figures of 1/19 across four overs, while T Natarajan maintained precision through the middle phase, removing Ayush Badoni before claiming two late wickets.
DELHI CAPITALS
The swinging conditions throughout the powerplay presented both opportunity and challenge. All four DC dismissals during this phase resulted from good-length deliveries, despite the pacers struggling with consistent line control. KL Rahul attempted an aggressive shot against a wide Mohammed Shami delivery, finding deep third man instead. Mohsin Khan celebrated his competitive return after 15 months by dismissing Nitish Rana, conceding no runs from his opening 11 deliveries beyond leg byes. Prince Yadav then struck twice in quick succession, reducing the Capitals to 26/4.
Local talent Sameer Rizvi assumed the match-winning role despite early pressure from the pace attack. Struggling on 5 from 13 deliveries, he ramped an Anrich Nortje bouncer for six, but the decisive shift occurred in the 10th over when he targeted Shahbaz Ahmad for three boundaries in a 16-run sequence. While Tristan Stubbs appeared comfortable, Rizvi emerged as the standout performer, entering as the impact substitute and navigating challenging conditions expertly. His acceleration proved unstoppable, with an unbroken 119-run fifth-wicket stand securing victory.
Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 141 all out in 18.4 overs (Abdul Samad 36 (25), Lungi Ngidi 3-27, T Natarajan 3-29, Kuldeep Yadav 2-31) lost to Delhi Capitals 145/4 in 17.1 overs (Sameer Rizvi 70* (47), Tristan Stubbs 39* (32), Prince Yadav 2-20, Mohsin Khan 1-19) by 6 wickets.
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