IPL 2026 Match 5 is here and it is one loaded with storylines. Rishabh Pant, the man who once defined Delhi Capitals, is now back in Lucknow colours. KL Rahul, who gave LSG their identity as a franchise, is now leading Delhi Capitals. Two captains, two home-grown identities, completely swapped.
Add Mohammed Shami’s comeback, Mayank Yadav’s fitness question, and Kuldeep Yadav’s spinning threat, and this match is exactly the kind of contest IPL was built for.
Both Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals missed the playoffs last season. Both teams come into IPL 2026 with rebuilt squads, renewed ambitions, and plenty to prove from ball one.
For full IPL 2026 match previews, playing 11 breakdowns and daily analysis, CricThugs covers every single game this season.
Match Details
- Match: IPL 2026 Match 5, Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals
- Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
- Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
- Toss: 7:00 PM IST
- Match Start: 7:30 PM IST
- Live Telecast: Star Sports Network
- Live Streaming: JioHotstar app and website
LSG Probable Playing 11
According to ESPNcricinfo match preview published April 1, 2026:
- Mitchell Marsh
- Aiden Markram
- Nicholas Pooran
- Rishabh Pant (c / wk)
- Ayush Badoni
- Abdul Samad
- Akshat Raghuwanshi / Himmat Singh
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Mohammed Shami
- Mayank Yadav
- Digvesh Rathi / Anrich Nortje
DC Probable Playing 11
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Pathum Nissanka
- Nitish Rana
- Tristan Stubbs
- Axar Patel (c)
- David Miller
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Vipraj Nigam
- Auqib Nabi
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Kuldeep Yadav / T Natarajan
LSG vs DC Ekana Pitch Report
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium is one of the most unique surfaces in the IPL. According to BJ Sports and official venue records:
The pitch at Ekana Stadium always offers something for both batters and bowlers. The Lucknow pitch tends to get a little slower and can also aid spin in the latter stages of the game. Scores above 200 are therefore not easy to get, keeping the game competitive to the very last ball.
The average first innings score at Ekana last IPL was 187, a slight fall from the 203 recorded in 2024. The temperature in Lucknow on match evening is expected to be around 28 degrees Celsius with no chance of rain.
According to reports, Ekana Cricket Stadium is a spin-friendly venue known for its slow and dry nature. Bowlers who can generate swing early and spinners who can grip the surface in the second innings have historically performed well here.
LSG vs DC Head to Head
LSG and DC faced each other twice last season, with the Delhi side winning on both occasions. This includes an eight-wicket victory over LSG in Lucknow, where Mukesh Kumar took four wickets to restrict LSG to just 159. DC chased down the total with 13 balls to spare, thanks to Abhishek Porel and KL Rahul’s half-centuries.
DC are 4-0 up against LSG from the sides’ previous contests, with two of those wins coming in Lucknow itself. LSG will desperately hope that scoreline does not worsen today.
3 Key Battles to Watch
Battle 1: Rishabh Pant vs Kuldeep Yadav
Two former Delhi Capitals teammates now on opposite sides. Kuldeep is one of the best wrist spinners in the world and loves bowling at the Ekana surface. Pant’s fearless left-handed batting against quality spin will be fascinating to watch.
Battle 2: KL Rahul vs Mohammed Shami
Each of LSG’s overseas batters, including Marsh, Markram and Pooran, got over 400 runs last IPL, while all of LSG’s Indian batters combined scored only 835 runs. Shami needs to make the new ball count fast, and KL Rahul opening for DC gives him the chance to test one of the cleanest batters in world cricket.
Battle 3: Axar Patel vs the LSG top order
Axar Patel has been outstanding with ball and bat in recent years and is now captain of Delhi Capitals. His left-arm spin on a slow Ekana surface could be devastating against a top order that is heavily dependent on overseas batters.
Who Will Win: LSG vs DC Today Match Prediction
DC hold a 4-0 head to head advantage and come in with a more settled team structure. However, LSG are playing at their home ground with a massive crowd behind them and a fully fit Rishabh Pant who is motivated to prove a point against his former franchise’s rivals. According to reports, this is expected to be a competitive, low-to-medium scoring contest where spinners and smart batting will decide the winner.
For pre-match playing 11 updates, pitch reports and post-match analysis throughout IPL 2026, keep checking CricThugs’ full IPL 2026 blog section.
Lucky Raina is a complete cricket writer chasing corporate dreams by day and cricket stories by night. Once a promising Under 16 cricketer, life took him down a different pitch but the love for the game never left.
