A new season dawns on us yet again as we gear up to take on the Lucknow Super Giants in our first match of IPL 2026. The high-octane clash begins at 7:30 PM at the B.R.S.A.B.V Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Whenever the two sides have collided, the fans have been treated by many edge-of-the-seat thrillers filled with last-over finishes. Delhi Capitals enter the opening matchday with a revitalised, powerful squad who are hungry to lift their much-awaited maiden IPL title.
Ashutosh’s clutch finish and Mukesh’s splendid spell helped DC do a double on their counterparts last season. The Capitals have faced LSG 7 times in the IPL so far, and have been the favourite, winning 4 of those matches.
DC’s skipper, Axar Patel, will be back in red & blue after a stunning season last year. He comes into the IPL off the back of a brilliant T20 World Cup Victory as India’s Vice-Captain, ready to showcase his skillset for Delhi once again. Given Ekana’s nature of producing slow, turning tracks, his left-arm spin will be vital to our success with the ball.
Kuldeep could be a decisive player as well, particularly in conditions that are expected to assist spin. Kuldeep’s variations and deception make him a constant wicket-taking threat, capable of breaking partnerships just as the opposition looks to build momentum. On a surface like Lucknow, where batters often have to take risks to score, Kuldeep’s knack for forcing errors could tilt the game in DC’s favour.
Back in Delhi and back at the top of the order, KL will be looking to build on his sublime IPL form in another season. His style of batting makes him particularly well-suited for the conditions in Lucknow. Apart from KL, all eyes will be on Dilli’s batting order, which is stacked with some quality players.
DELHI CAPITALS FULL SQUAD
Axar Patel (C), Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, David Miller Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar, Nitish Rana, Pathum Nissanka, Prithvi Shaw, Sahil Parakh, Sameer Rizvi, T. Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam
WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH
Catch all the action LIVE on the Star Sports Network, or stream the match LIVE on JioHotstar from 7:30 PM onwards.
